Imperfect Cherry Blossom
by Supperdude9
Summary: Belief, faith, and fear are funny things. Kyon finds himself in a new world, a world of true fantasy. He will need help to get out of Gensokyo alive. Haruhi/Touhou Crossover! Set after the events of Snow Mountain Syndrome, and written as an introduction to Touhou. Rated T. Next few episodes might be delayed. Just a heads up.
1. ICB Episode 1 Dark

**I know you know Haruhi, so this is a crossover.**

**TMOHS, with something I don't know if you know.**

**Touhou.**

**I tried writing it so people who don't know what Touhou is can get into it, which is a secondary goal, actually - making this an introduction to Touhou. I had a more elaborate setup where youtube links were in the story, so you can listen to the music, but constant account closings and other difficulties will prevent me from doing this.**

**So, sit back, and enjoy the ride.**

**The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is owned by Nagaru Tanigawa. Touhou Project is owned by ZUN and Team Shanghai Alice. I own neither. This is a fan fiction of those works.**

**Beta Readers for this Episode(Alphabetical Order):**

**HanaIchi Ikari **(Dropped out)

**liquidity**

**Serendipital**

**Sky Rider**

**superstarultra**

* * *

-start-

_"Life is a fragile and delicate work of art, and no one has granted to be alive on the next day.  
That's why past isn't important, because there won't be another chance to change how things were.  
That's why future isn't important either, because no matter how much we plan, we will never know what really lurks beyond the next minute.  
So the only things that matters, is the present. Is the way we feel in this moment, and the way we live today.  
The important thing is who we love, and how we can improve ourselves to be a better person, and surround everyone we like with peace.  
Even those who we don't like should deserve forgiveness.  
Hate brings the corruption of our souls, and the first person we will harm, is ourselves.  
So let us all think about those who we love in this moment, the important thing we have on the present time, and think what a wonderful sensation is to feel alive.  
But let us think about those we hate too, and try to understand that for whatever reason, hate should not exist. And that the best way to kill this ghosts, are by forgiving them, allowing them to sleep forever."  
_

**-ChaosAngel209, Touhou Music Remix Uploader, Youtube**

* * *

**January 1st, 2004**

**The following takes place after "Snow Mountain Syndrome" and "Where did the cat go?"**

* * *

Shami-ni...Shamisen. My mind was still on the whole mystery that was laid before us earlier, its conclusion, and what could happen during our next vacation. _Really? A castle? Might be interesting, even though I don't envy Koizumi attempting to figure out what kind of mystery he could come up with to entertain Haruhi. Does he get his stuff from a book? But for the castle flavor, he's gonna have to make it a bit more interesting. Haruhi would be expecting more. Maybe...like a slasher-type deal? The killer would "kill" more people as time went on? Maybe I __could discuss this with him at breakfast._

I looked over at the clock. It was already past one into the new year, and I let out a pretty big yawn. I didn't want to think anymore, just rest. After grabbing Shamisen (and making sure it _was _Shamisen), I went towards my room, saying my goodnights. I quickly checked in on my sister, who was already fast asleep. I set the cat in my room, showered, and changed. Shamisen meowed as I climbed into bed. Sleep quickly overtook me, the day's mental events showing their drain.

I dreamt of eyes that night. Not of Mount Fuji, a hawk, or an eggplant, but of eyes. I wondered if that was a bad omen. A world of eyes, just staring at something unknown in the distance. It was dark, a purple haze surrounding me, and the eyes were colored red. They were more like symbols than actual eyes, but it was still creepy. From the haze up ahead, a woman approached me.

She was carrying a pink, lacy parasol, and had long flowing blonde hair with red ribbons adorning it all over. Her dress was purple and light pink, her mob cap the same shade. She stared at me with her purple eyes, twirling the parasol. I couldn't see her face, due to the paper fan she was using to obscure it. Her eyes shimmered with the purple light from this world.

She was then standing before me; she let the fan drop, letting me see her, and I was taken aback. She was beautiful. A true lady.

I didn't feel threatened by her, just a bit entranced by her beauty. We simply stared at each other for a while. I started to wonder what kind of dream this was going to be...and I suppose she saw me looking her over, because she smiled, a small chuckle emitting from her. She leaned forward, and her lips moved.

"G-o will welcome you."

_What did she say?_

* * *

**Imperfect Cherry Blossom**

**Episode 1**

**["Dark"]**

* * *

I was cold, very cold. It was as if my whole bed had turned to ice. Groaning, I reached for my covers, only to meet with...snow...? _What?_

I sat up, noticing that my whole body was covered in snow, that I was in my school winter uniform and jacket, my scarf around my neck. I was...not in my room. The initial panic of my new surroundings gave way to my next thought.

_She did it again, didn't she? Haruhi did it again. I knew that mansion was bad news. It caused her to create another closed space. That stupid "group hypnosis" thing didn't work, did it?_ I even wanted to get a little mad at Asahina for her part in that, but I really couldn't.

I slowly got up, and dusted the snow off of me. I assessed where I was, and I knew this wasn't North High like the last time I was in a proper closed space. I was out in a forest at night in a light snowstorm, the full moon partially hidden by the snowing clouds, possibly the mountain area - why I was transported there was beyond my reasoning. Though if Haruhi was involved, that just made it the norm.

Except that this wasn't quite normal. Unlike that last time, Haruhi wasn't with me. And unlike my other excursions into closed spaces - no, wait. It didn't _feel_ like closed space. But it had to be. It was the only explanation. Though, why was I the only one there?

My mind drifted back to what Koizumi told me, about how closed spaces can't be entered unless it's done by espers, and as I've seen, by data entities as well. However, didn't he say on occasion that normal people may find themselves there?

If that was the case, then I could be in a bit of trouble. Until the espers showed up to deal with this closed space and its Celestials, I was on my own. This would also mean I've disappeared from the world, and Nagato should be detecting it. However, since she was a bit under the weather and I didn't know if she was fully recovered, I couldn't help but wonder if she would be hindered in doing so.

Either way, I had no choice but to await rescue, as I lacked any means of defending myself should a Celestial decide to pop up and destroy this forest. I would have stayed put had I not been so cold already. _Couldn't I have dropped into a closed space near shelter or something?_ Feeling a bulge in my pockets, I felt the lighter and the flashlight given to me. I remembered the butler, Arakawa, giving me these before I went to bed, saying that there might be blackouts and I might need light. I brought them out, looking them over. I didn't need them right then, as the full moon gave off more than enough light. Logically, the best idea was to make a fire, but logic wasn't Haruhi's specialty. There was a chance that in this closed space, wood may not even burn. Maybe I would test that theory later. And speaking of light...

I saw it. Down a row of trees - well, as much of a row of trees growing in the wild can get, I suppose. Light.

A mixture of dread and relief went through my chilled body. Where there is light, there should be shelter. Yet, there isn't supposed to be light on by default in a closed space. At least, not in my experience. So, either the rules have changed, or someone else was in there with me, and had access to shelter.

Standing out there all alone was doing me no good, so I had no choice but to go there.

As I walked through the snow forest, already my mind was racing with theories of what was going on. Because right then my brain was screaming at me that this couldn't be a normal closed space, that this may be something totally different. I tried my best to come up with other explanations for what was going on, I had to, because for it to be a new unknown factor was scaring the hell out of me. I was totally alone at that point. No Nagato, no Koizumi, no Haruhi, and no Asahina either, though as much as I like Asahina, I couldn't help but wonder what help she could be in such a situation, other than keeping my blood warm.

Anyway, right, theories...theories theories theories. All of which kept getting shut down by this gnawing feeling that this was indeed something new_. Closed space? No, feels too different, and the espers would have shown up by now. That is, assuming I am still in the mountain area. Data entity closed space? Possible, but even a sick Nagato would attempt a rescue, right?_ The next few theories were pretty much rehashes of those two scenarios, but it wasn't getting me anywhere. I just wanted to get that fear out of my head that-

_Did I just see a shadow?_ From above the treelines? The full moon was shining down in the small clearing I was currently in, and I swore I saw the shadow of a person among the shadows of the top of a tree. I looked up, but there was nothing. I stood there, and the only sound was my own beating heart and breathing.

"Hee-hee-hee."

I whipped around to catch a glimpse what appeared to be a human, flying, ducking around a tree. It was small.

_Flying? A human flying?_ Whatever it was, it had no red aura around it, so it couldn't be an esper. Though I knew a girl's giggle when I heard one.

I stood there, trying to process what it was, what it could mean. _A new type of esper? I don't know. Another rogue data entity? Well, this giggle sounds too happy to be one. _The giggle didn't repeat, at least. And I saw no other shadows that moved, so I kept moving towards the lights.

Whatever it was, it didn't leave me alone. After a while, I would turn around every few steps, and catch a glimpse of the small figure, ducking behind a tree, darting out of my view, or seemingly blending back into the shadows cast by the full moon. I quickened my pace through the snowy forest, turning back fewer times, which is what I wanted to avoid doing anyway. Every time I turned around, I'd find that the thing was slowly closing the distance, like something out of a horror movie.

I was finally close enough to the lights to see that they were coming from a very large house, possibly a mansion in the western style. Realizing that sunk my heart, as memories of the snow mansion came flooding back. In reality however, I couldn't tell if this was indeed the same mansion. It had a huge wall surrounding it, and I could see that the mansion was red, though what shade was difficult to tell from this distance. A huge clock tower stuck out of the roof, signaling that it was past two in the morning.

It was very ominous-looking, but it was shelter. And from the looks of things, I would have to go around to my left to get to the front gate. I really had no choice, unless I wanted to start a fire, which shouldn't be too hard with that lighter.

"Hee-hee."

I heard the crunch of a footstep in the snow behind me. I thought my blood couldn't get any colder - amazing I wasn't frosted to the bone by then. I didn't want to turn around, but I did.

It was a little girl. She had to be young, a mere child. She was still in the shadows, but I could make out a basic outline of her. The small figure in front of me was wearing a black vest and skirt, a white blouse, and some sort of ribbon in her shortly cut hair. She was smiling at me.

"Hello, Mister. Where are you going on this fine night?"

My heart started to pound, because there was something very wrong with this child. She just gave off this sense of..._wrongness_. There were _no_ footprints behind her, meaning she flew to where she was, which shouldn't be real! But she had to be the one who was stalking me through the woods for the last few minutes!

"Are you lost, Mister?"

I swallowed hard, because it seemed she took great enjoyment in asking that question, with more than a dash of hope. Her voice was indeed childish, but there was something unsettling about it in the first place.

"I...uh...I, yeah. I kind of woke up out here, and I was, I was going to go to this mansion I saw."

"Is that so?"

She stepped out of the darkness, a smile on her face, though I saw her eyes squint as she came into the light. I could see her. A petite, cute little blonde girl with a red ribbon-type thing on her head. It didn't look exactly like a ribbon. But her eyes, her eyes didn't look human. Then again, they were red, but that's beside the point. I took a step back.

_Perfect set up for a killer child movie. One where the little girl acts all innocent right before she guts you._ I had to force myself to shut down that line of thought, before I could speak.

"Yeah. Yeah. I'd like to be on my way now."

She took a few more steps towards me.

"Is that so? Well, I'm sorry Mister, but the people in that mansion aren't really hospitable to outsiders. Looks like you're out of luck."

She continued to walk towards me, despite that I was retreating a bit. She seemed to be enjoying this.

"Well, then, can you help me get to a town or somewhere? I need to get some help."

Why was I trying to talk my way out of this? _Run idiot run!_

"Yes, Mister. You do need some help."

I picked up my pace walking backwards, but she kept her slow happy advance. I could have sworn that she was starting to skip a bit in the snow.

"You're all alone out here. Not too smart, Mister. _Bad_ things happen here. But even worse things happen in that mansion. So I'm actually going to do you a favor, as you do me one."

I tripped over a fallen log, as cliche as it was, but I scrambled up to my feet. My whole body was screaming at me to run, but I couldn't. All I could do was stare at the little girl walking towards me with an ever-widening grin spreading on her face. My mind immediately went back to Ryoko, that part of my life was being relived. In a different way, yes, but still close enough to scare the hell out of me.

"I have a question to ask you, Mister."

"...Wha...what?"

Her grin went full blown, revealing the fangs in her mouth.

"May I eat you?"

_Not a murderous little girl movie. A murderous little monster movie._

For a split second after my brain registered what she asked, and also registering that she had fangs, I actually considered telling her "No".

I ran. I heard her giggle as she called out to me.

"Is that so? Well, no better way to work up an appetite than earning a meal!"

Almost immediately, I saw the outline of her shadow in front of me, her outstretched arms making a very weird shadow. _Wait, shadow? She's flying above me! And her shadow is getting bigger!_

Around the next tree, I took a sharp right, and I felt her _whoosh_ by me, her fingers grazing the back of my coat. She kept laughing, until I heard a large _thwock_. I glanced over my shoulder, and couldn't help but stop running.

The girl had kept diving even after missing me, and had ended up face first in the snow at the base of a tree. Slowly, she got up, holding the top of her head. She spat out a mouthful of snow and dirt.

"Owwwwwwwww."

Then the loosened snow from the tree above her finally came down on top, burying her.

I couldn't believe what I just saw. _This is something out of an anime!_ My first instinct was to ask if she was all right, but considering that she had been trying to kill me, I knew I really shouldn't. I didn't even have the time to think about the whole situation yet, though when I started to, she screamed from beneath the snow.

"YAAAAAHHHH! Cold!"

She burst out of the snow pile, gasping for air and still holding onto her head. Tears began to stream down her face. Seeing this child like this was indeed a bit heart wrenching. Take away the fangs and her wanting me for a meal, and she sort of reminded me of my sister. _What is __wrong with me though? She's an enemy!_

"Awwww Mister. It's not fair. It's winter. There are hardly any humans out at night."

_"Hardly any humans"? So...she's...not human then?_ Well, she was flying.

She sniffed, before opening her eyes and giving me an angry look.

"_And I'm hungry!_"

I took that as a "yes". Also, running time again. Making it to the corner of the fence, I ran alongside it towards what had to be the opening. Sure enough, there was a gate there. The shadow of the girl flying above me kept my mind on why I was running, giving me an extra burst of adrenaline. Part of my mind registered that the gate might be locked. If that was the case, I was screwed. Making it to the gate, I yanked on the bars, finding it to be unlocked thankfully. The gate swung out, and-

_CLANG!_

The girl fell to the ground, holding onto her head again. Blood started to trickle down onto her face. She felt it on her hands, and looked. Her eyes widened, and her teeth clenched. She gave me a very nasty look, and scrambled to her feet.

"Mister, you just made the biggest mistake you'll _never_ make again!"

I ran, hard to the-

_Wow._

The sight made me take a pause for a microsecond, and I had to force myself to continue running. This was indeed a western-style mansion, and it was beyond huge. But the yard was huge itself, which was not a good thing, at least, not in the situation I was in. I yelled at the house to anyone inside. There had to be, as numerous windows were brightly lit, and I knew I saw the outline of a person inside. Hopefully they could hear me if they were still having a New Years Eve party.

"_Help! Help! Heeelll-_"

I slid on some ice, landing on my back, which was good, because the girl had swooped down, again barely missing me. She turned in the air, and landed on the ground - where she also slipped. Jumping to my feet, I kept running and sliding towards the house, calling for help. The girl kept it up too, barely missing me every time I slid, landing, and sliding herself. The whole thing would have been laughable if my life wasn't on the line.

I passed the fountain, the halfway point, before she started to laugh again.

"Ah, ah, Mister! I haven't had a chase like this in a long while! You've got quick reflexes! Oh, I hope your taste is worth this trouble!"

_If you catch me I hope it isn't!_

I kept running, but before I made it too far from the fountain, she pounced on me. It knocked the flashlight out of my jacket as I landed face first into the walkway. She was strong. She turned me on my back so I could face her with almost no effort. This child, no, this creature had a crazed look on her face. Compounded with the blood trickling down, the sight was very disturbing. Her baring her fangs didn't help either. She grabbed me by the jacket, and brought me eye to eye.

"Oh, I'm going to enjoy this."

_I don't need to know that!_

I struggled in vain against her. I felt alongside the ground, my hand coming to the flashlight. Grabbing it, I swung it at her. She easily blocked it, her arm coming up in the blink of an eye.

"Is that s-KYYAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

She had accidently hit the button to turn on the light, and it shone directly in her face. She reacted to it as if it was burning her, dropping me and covering her face with her arms, screaming. Bewildered that I had a means of defending myself there, I kept it shone in her face. She kept backing up, and slid again on the ice. I got up to run, but she pounced me again when I took the light off her face for a mere second. This time I banged my head on the walkway, and literally saw stars. In the midst of the pain and blurriness, I again tried to bring the flashlight up, but she just knocked it away. I heard it clatter somewhere as she again brought me face to face.

"_Enough! I've had enough of this! It's snack time!_"

She bore her fangs, snarling, and drooling a bit.

Light. Light poured down on her, and she again covered her face as I plopped back down to the ground. It took me a second to realize that somebody opened the door.

"_No! It's not fair! I was finally going to have a decent meal!_"

The girl raised her left hand, a ball of black colored energy forming in her palm, as if the shadows themselves were concentrating for whatever she was doing. The energy then fired from her hand, towards the opened door.

"_He's mine! Miiiiiine!_"

This...this was not a closed space. This was something entirely different. Another thought crossed my mind, about the child and her shooting energy balls and whatnot. If she could do this, then I wondered why she didn't attack me with whatever that was in the first place. I couldn't answer that, in my blurry mental state.

[SPELL CARD: COLORFUL SIGN "EXTREME COLOR TYPHOON"]

Almost immediately though, her shot was met with a flurry of colors. I didn't know what was going on, until I realized that these colors were shots themselves. Her eyes widened and she screamed. She got hit by a large ball of red energy, knocking her clear out of the yard, beyond the gate. I laid there, exhausted, cold, and with what could only be a huge lump on my head beginning to form, as the world went black.

"Ah...Nagato...Koizumi...Asahina...Haruhi...anybody..."

The last thing I saw was a woman in green standing over me.

* * *

The fox woman watched as the door guard in green took the unconcious boy inside the mansion. It wasn't supposed to happen like this, dammit. She had been given instructions to lead the boy to the mansion, yes, but not to make contact under any circumstances. At first, the boy did go to the mansion on his own, but that damn little girl showed up, throwing off the plan. Her master would be angry, she knew it. But what did she expect? Bring the boy over here and just drop him off outside? Outside where things like that girl were? Why not just drop him off at the mansion proper instead of risking it like they did?

She needed to report this. She wasn't happy. This whole thing may be a waste of time, actually. Him being here on a mere whim...

What significance did he have? Why did her master bring him here, leaving him out there in the wild if he was so important?

The woman decided to flat-out demand an answer for this, because it made no sense.

* * *

-begin-

Subject [NAME REDACTED] "KYON" has disappeared from our existence.

Leading theories suggest possible slip into "Closed Space".

Will explore other options as well.

Beginning search.

-end-

* * *

**Short introductory episode. Not much else to say but to stay tuned for the second episode. Although I do have to apologize to the little shadow youkai that she got so beaten up here. Then again, she does spend most of her time bumping her head into trees...so, I guess it's just business as usual for her. And yes, she is known for saying "Is that so?"**

**Ah Rumia. Why were you left in the darkness. You have such potential as a character...**


	2. ICB Episode 2 Scarlet

**First off, Touhou is not an anime. It is a vertical scrolling bullet-hell game. There IS a fan-made anime out there, but there is nothing official in that vein, as far as I know as I write this. And from what I know, ZUN, the creator, does not want it to be an anime. The amazing thing about touhou is the fan base. As Naka-Teleeli said, the Touhou story is about 20% canon, 80% fan-made. That's the great thing about this series. ZUN, has given the fans a lot of creative freedoms. I'm going to take some liberties with the characters here, and also take some of the fan's takes on the characters with their stories. Again, I'll say it. I'm writing this as an introductory to the Touhou series, so those who do know the series may just be reading what they already know.**

**For the people who don't know, Touhou is way bigger than they can imagine. So many fans have made so much media about the series. If you do see "openings" on Youtube, they're fan made.**

**But if you don't know what Touhou is, or actually, don't care, the very least I ask of you is to enjoy the music. At least take that with you. You won't regret it.**

**Now, my A/N went on further than this, and my Beta Reader Sky Rider got on my case about it. I'll cut it short...well, shorter.**

******The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is owned by Nagaru Tanigawa. Touhou Project is owned by ZUN and Team Shanghai Alice. I own neither. This is a fan fiction of those works.**

**Beta Readers for this Episode(Alphabetical Order):**

**liquidity**

**Serendipital**

**Sky Rider**

**superstarultra**

* * *

My eyes opened, the memories of the little girl who was chasing me still swirling in my head. It was a bit dark in my room. I let out a sigh as I laid there for a while. _Another weird dream? But it was so real. _However, I didn't think I should discount it as just another weird dream. Last time I did so, I learned that I was involved in preserving the world the way it was.

I got up in the low light of the dawn, dreading it. Already, I knew I wasn't in Tsuruya's vacation house. This wasn't my room, though it was quite spacious, very fancy. Plush red carpeting, woodwork - this was real classy-type stuff here. I looked around for a light, but to no avail. No light switch, no nothing; not even an outlet. The fireplace's embers and blackened remains were giving a little warmth, and a little light. I was in some plain cotton clothes that appeared to be handmade, expertly handmade, but still handmade. My winter clothes that I had were gone, as well as my lighter and flashlight. Opening the armoire revealed a few more clothes that appeared to be in my size, and my winter school uniform, all clean, the flashlight and lighter missing. A pitcher of water and a glass were next to my bed, alongside a wind-up clock. It was a little before six in the morning. After taking a drink, I ended up trying the door to find it locked, and I sat back down on my bed in the dark as the sun was starting to give a bit of light outside.

_Okay, this is different, no doubt about that. No electricity, a handmade feel about everything around me, and a crisp, clean feeling. Even the water tastes unnaturally pure. Did I get sent back in time or something?_ At least there was plumbing in the small bathroom my room was connected to. _Back in time... That shouldn't be possible, if Asahina's and Koizumi's explanations ring true. Either it's impossible to go back in time before that point over three years ago, or the world wasn't created until over three years ago, respectively. So where or when is here?_

I got up again, and went to the window. Outside, three stories below me, there was a lone figure, a woman in green.

The woman in green, standing over me. The girl with the fangs, chasing me, wanting to eat me. _Did that person outside save me? How? There was a flurry of colorful energy flying around, knocking away the little girl. Did that lady outside do that? So wait, that wasn't a dream? Or am I still dreaming?_

I watched as the woman practiced Tai Chi in the snow-covered yard. The snow was coming down pretty good, but I was able to watch her. However, I couldn't see her face, but she had a green beret and long red hair, along with two braids that rested on her chest, moving with her.

And what a yard! If I had to guess, I was in that mansion I ran to. Which meant...which meant what it meant.

_I'm here. But where is here?_

_Where am I?_

* * *

**Imperfect Cherry Blossom**

**Episode 2**

**["Scarlet"]**

* * *

_**"This is an isolated place in an eastern country, far from any villages.**_

_**In ancient times, this was a place of terror. Those who wandered too close would be eaten by youkai.**_

_**People called this place Gensokyo and never dared to approach."**_

**-Perfect Cherry Blossom: Prologue**

* * *

I continued to watch her movements. They were mesmerizing. She was obviously an expert at it, her motions fluid as water, non-excessive, beautiful. Although I was someone who had minimum knowledge of Tai Chi, I understood enough to know that it _was_ Tai Chi. She had finished her excercise and was doing several different forms of martial arts, sticking with one for a while before moving on to the next. What disciplines, I didn't know, but again, I'm not one to really know, other than from what I had seen in the movies. She performed her actions away from the mansion, so I couldn't get a look at her face.

I was so entranced by her that I almost didn't hear the lock of the door turning and its subsequent opening. I turned to see a girl with red hair peeking into the room. She was shocked to see me, and let out a gasp. She quickly closed the door and relocked it. I stood there, stunned for a while, before running to the door.

"Hey! Hey! Who are you? Where am I? Let me out!"

I knocked on the door, kept trying the lock, but to no avail. _Was I a prisoner here? _It angered me, but then my mind caught up. There was something about the girl that my mind hadn't registered until then.

She had bat wings on the back of her head, and on her back.

I backed away from the door until I ended up right next to the bed, unsure of what to think.

_What the hell is she? Though, she looks more scared to see me than I'm of her._

It wasn't long until I heard the door unlock again, and the girl with the bat wings came back in. She had long red hair, and was wearing a black dress with white sleeves. This girl was actually cute, staring at me with her inhuman eyes. She looked unsure of what to say.

We stared at each other - this creature before me reminded me of Asahina, with the way she stood and all. Even the way she was fidgeting a bit. I wasn't sure _what_ she was, but I didn't feel threatened by her. Her lips moved, letting out a small gasp of a greeting.

"Ah...good morning."

_Man, she even sounds somewhat like Asahina._

"...Uhm...good morning to you, too."

She blushed as she looked down, obviously shy as she avoided eye contact. The tension in my body that built up was ebbing away, as I felt no need to really be afraid of her. The silence continued for a bit, until there was a knock on the door. The girl then opened it as she spoke.

"Lady Patchouli will see you now."

In walked a girl with long purple hair and purple eyes, wearing what appeared to be pajamas and a nightcap with a crescent moon on it. She had various red and blue ribbons tied to her hair and clothing. This girl, Patchouli, appeared to be...I wanted to say European. It was difficult to say what nationality she was, and it would only be conjecture on my part. She looked at me with tired eyes, before turning to the other girl.

"Koakuma, please get me a chair."

"Yes, Lady Patchouli."

"And you, boy. Please sit on the bed."

_"Boy"? She can't be much older than me. She looks young._

Patchouli was looking me over as I sat, examining me as the other girl, Koakuma, started up the fireplace again. I don't know why I went along with it. It was just so weird, this situation, though it felt like a checkup. She confirmed this.

"You had a nasty fall out there, bumped your head. Been onl-" Patchouli paused, appearing to regret saying even that. She took a few seconds before she gave me a small smile. "- well, you're fine. That's the important thing."

She went with the usual 'how many fingers am I holding up' and other various things for a while, before I couldn't take it any more.

"Just who are you?"

"Patchouli Knowledge."

She responded quickly, matter-of-factly. There was a hint of unemotion in her voice that seemed...familiar. Also, what kind of surname is "Knowledge?" At least she didn't say that with any sarcasm.

"But, that's not what I mean! Who are you? Where am I?"

"We'll get to that soon enough. But you look fine. Perfectly healthy, in fact. Amazing. Amazing indeed. That little youkai gave you quite the scare, didn't she?"

My eyes narrowed. _Did she just say 'youkai'?_

Youkai. Paranormal beings. Creatures from folklore and legend, ghosts, demons, spirits, that kind of deal. _That little girl was a youkai?_

She noticed my reaction, and smiled.

"Well, I thought so. You aren't from Gensokyo."

"Gensokyo?"

"Yes."

She said that as if it answered my question, which, I guess did, but without context, it didn't work. But apparently it would have to - she got up, motioning for me to follow her.

"Now, let's hurry up. Maybe we can get an explanation for you before she goes to bed."

"Who? And going to bed in the morning?"

"You'll see."

_Someone tell me what the hell is going on!_

After she dragged me out of my room, (and still not answering my questions) we went through quite a bit of the mansion. Fairy maids (they weren't as small as you'd think, fairies - more like the size of children), a massive ornate domed lobby, and the overall weirdness that was this huge creepy mansion, we arrived at a set of ornate double doors that atop of a staircase. Patchouli motioned to them.

"The throne room."

There were three people up there. Two fairies in green, who had sheathed daggers. Guard fairies, I assumed.

I stopped there to think about that for a bit _ Okay...fairies. What the hell. Where am I?! I'm in a mansion where there are fairies. Fairies. Actual fairies._

The other person was a pretty maid (who didn't have wings), who had to be in her very late teens or very early twenties, dressed in the French maid style. She had a maid cap, which she adjusted as we approached. She had short silver hair that had two braids, one each hanging down on either of her face, both ending with a green bow. The pocket-watch she had hanging from her apron pocket gleamed in the candlelight, perfectly polished. The maid was of obvious Japanese descent. Patchouli called out to the maid.

"Ah, Izayoi. Is Remi aware of the guest waking up?"

The maid nodded.

"Good. Can you please tell her that he's here?"

Izayoi again nodded and entered the doors. After a brief few seconds, she came back out. I had the feeling this was going to be a grand entrance type of thing. The maid bowed at the top of the stairs, for my benefit I suppose, yet she stared at me with suspicious blue eyes. That was the only way I could describe them.

"May I present to you, the mistress of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. The Scarlet Devil herself, Lady Remilia Scarlet."

_That's a lot of Scarlets...and...'Scarlet Devil'? Scarlet Devil? What have I gotten myself into?_

The two guards opened the doors, and out stepped a child. Again, like Patchouli, she too appeared to be European, and looked possibly French or English. Again, conjecture. She was wearing a pink dress with red trim and a mob cap. A child with wings. Bat wings. She flicked her short-cut light blue hair as she stepped to the top of the staircase, smiling with obvious arrogance, revealing her fangs. She looked down on me with inhuman red eyes.

_She's a vampire. I'm looking at an actual vampire! I'm in the home of a vampire! _ At least, those were the thoughts my mind was shouting at me.

"Welcome, my boy, to the Scarlet Devil Mansion!"

The way she moved, the way she expressed herself, even the way she stood was eerily familiar. She continued.

"And also, welcome to Gensokyo. You, you are from the outside world, aren't you?"

Her smile widened when I failed to respond. I was still in a little shock over how...familiar...

"What's the matter, boy? Cat got your tongue? Or is it that you're intimidated by me? Tell you what - why don't you tell me who you are? After all, you're a guest in my home, and I don't even know your name."

I swallowed hard before I told her. Her eyebrows rose.

"...That's...that's an interesting name. Very extravagant, if my Japanese is correct. You certainly seem interesting, which is good."

"...But...but my friends call me 'Kyon'."

I didn't know why I told her that. Still hated that nickname.

"Oh, you want to consider me a friend, then?"

I balked in response before she laughed.

"Ah, smart move, boy! You'd do well to make me your friend. So, Kyon, you are from the outside world, correct?"

"I-I don't know what that means."

The vampire tilted her head, smiling.

"Hmmm. Poor boy doesn't know his situation. You didn't tell him, Patchi?"

Knowledge stepped forward.

"I thought you would like to have the pleasure, Remi."

Remilia mulled this over for a bit.

"You know, you know I suppose I would, now that I think about it. I'd like to see the look on his face after all. Might be amusing. Even though it's your idea for me to meet him like this."

"But he does know of the youkai."

"Ah, of course, after his incident with the one...I think her name is Rumia. Or is it? Hmmm."

The vampire yawned.

"Remi, what have you been doing?"

"Ah, just trying out the handheld electronic game Sakuya got me from Rinnosuske's. Actually lost track of the time."

_Electronic game? Well, there goes the time traveling theory, I suppose._ I asked a question.

"What year is it?"

Remilia tilted her head.

"Excuse me?"

"Have I been taken back in time, or...what is going on?"

Remilia smiled again, her eyes shining with amusement.

"Ah, you're right Patchi. His confusion _is_ amusing! I shall fully enjoy his reactions later!"

_Glad you're taking my situation this lightly. I'd like to see you in my shoes._

"Later, Remi?"

"Yes, it'll have to be later. Now if you'll excuse me, I do need my rest. I've been up all night, so perhaps we can resume this conversation at dinner?"

And with that, the vampire went on her way, having the final say. Though why I spoke up, I don't know. Maybe it was because she...

"You remind me of someone I know."

_The way she carries herself, the way she has the final say, hell, even the exact same way she turned after having said final say! This child is just like her! _ She turned, raising an eyebrow.

"Really? I hope that's a compliment. See you later, Patchi."

_If you knew what I thought of her at times, you'd know that it wouldn't be a very flattering compliment._

"Have a good rest, Remi."

"Oh, yeah. Sakuya!"

The maid turned to her vampire master.

"Sakuya..."

Remilia's eyes narrowed at her maid, who bowed.

"There won't be any problems."

_Problems? Is there something I should worry about?_

"Good. Now, does anyone else have any news to interrupt me with before I-"

Patchouli did interrupt.

"Actually, Remi, yes I do. Your sister is awake."

The amused look on the vampire's face disappeared, becoming a serious one.

"Ahhh...Yeah, thanks for telling me. Just...make sure she doesn't...you know."

"Of course, Remi."

"Because it would be bad for the boy. But anyway, see you all at dinner!"

_So I'm guessing her sister is something to worry about then? Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on? _ Remilia turned and went down a hall. I was unsure of what really transpired there. Although I was more than a little peeved. We made our way through that huge maze of a mansion only to not get the explanation I was promised. What a waste of time. Patchouli just sighed.

"I'm sorry about that...Kyon, right? I'm sorry about that. I had hoped Remi would have been able to tell you what is going on."

_So why can't you?_

"But...she's a vampire. She _is_ a vampire, right?"

"Yes she is, but she tries to avoid a traditional vampire's waking hours. For her to stay up all night like that is actually unusual, at least in the time I've known her. But I'm sorry for all of this. Now we'll have to wait all day. If she was anyone else I'd get her to explain, but...Remi will be Remi."

_You're saying that like it's supposed to have some meaning for me. It doesn't. _The maid, Izayoi, walked down to m, before bowing. She still had those suspicious eyes.

"Sakuya Izayoi. Head maid of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Milady has seen fit that you are allowed breakfast."

"'Seen fit'? What's that supposed to mean?"

_Seriously. Someone tell me what is really going on. I'm lost._

As we walked through the mansion to the library after a decent breakfast of eggs and bacon, I had this weird feeling that I was being watched. Not by the people I was with, but by someone, or something else. I turned, and a door closed. I thought I saw a little girl, a tad smaller than Remilia.

The huge double doors to the library were opened by Izayoi and-

I had thought the ornate entryway that we passed through on the way there was impressive. This library was beyond massive. Rows upon rows of tall shelves, and I do mean that - I daresay that at the center, the library may have run up into the clock tower of the mansion. At the peak of it, above what had to be the central area, all I could see was darkness. There had to be hundreds of thousands of books. Nagato would have loved this place. Patchouli and Koakuma entered, and I slowly followed them in, taking in the sight. Izayoi spoke up from behind me.

"There is a simple rule we have at the Scarlet Devil Mansion. If you don't work, you don't eat."

_What? Did she just say that?_ I turned around, giving her a confused look.

"For now, Lady Remilia thought that you assisting Lady Patchouli in the library will be enough."

My face could not have looked more dumbfounded, I supposed.

"I thought I was a guest here."

"A guest that's been staying a while. Besides, it's for your own good, and you'll need something to do while Lady Remilia sleeps."

Before I could even ask her what she meant when she said I was here 'a while', she bowed and closed the door, leaving me with Koakuma and Patchouli. _Huh. Izayoi's a little rude, it seems. I mean, really? I'm told I'm a guest but I have to work to eat now? This kind of logic was fitting for...ah, why are my thoughts turning back to her? And why am I going along with all of this? Why am I putting up with this? Has my time with the Brigade sapped me of my free will to the point that I'm now just cheap labor? _I turned to join Patchouli, but something against the wall caught my eye.

There were two portraits, one of Remilia her sitting in a throne, a wine glass on the arm of said throne, looking all regal. There was some sort of red spear propped up against the throne's left armrest. Right next to that picture was another portrait painted a bit darker, essentially a mirror image with the positioning. It was of another girl, sitting in the same throne, or at least it looked like it, but it looked like it was in a different room. She was slightly smaller than Remilia, and instead of pink, wore a red dress and a light pink mob cap. She had slightly longer hair, blonde, which went in a ponytail on her left side. She, too, had those inhuman red eyes Remilia had.

_Is this her sister? She's...different. _She had some sort of curvy, bent spear thing propped up against this throne's armrest as well, and the wings, well, they were the most prominent and different thing about her. They weren't bat wings, and looked like metal rods with different colored prism shards attached to them. I read the titles: _Mistress Remilia Scarlet (with Gungnir) _and _Mistress Flandre Scarlet (with Laevateinn)._

_Gungnir? Laevateinn? No way, right?_ I quickly let the thought that these two had such terrifying Norse mythical weapons in their possessions go as I forced myself into the next thought. _This has to be the sister, right? Though why was there what looked like a blood splash on the corner of the portrait? I hope that's just painted on there for effect. _ Patchouli walked up to me.

"Ah, I see you've noticed Flan."

"Flandre...Scarlet."

"Yes. Remi's little sister."

"Remilia said it would be bad for me that her sister is awake. What does she mean by that?"

"You shouldn't have anything to worry about."

I just gave her a dumbstruck look.

"'Shouldn't have anything to worry about'. Well, that explains nothing."

_None of you are explaining that much at all in fact! Why am I putting up with all of this again? Someone please tell me!_

"I'm sure that one of the maids will gossip to you about Flan if you ask them. But please don't ask Remi about her. She does love her sister, it's just that I'm reluctant to explain it all to you, or too much of anything for the time being, Kyon. Trust me when I say it's for the best."

She still wouldn't answer any questions I had, and I pretty much spent the next several hours not getting anywhere by asking. I spent those hours shelving books Patchouli was reading through, and assisting Koakuma. Patchouli was stationed at a large table in the middle of the library, actually casting magic. Not bogus magic, but actual magic. I didn't know what to think when she cast a levitation spell on a candle, but it didn't faze me for long, as she went onto other spells that were even more impressive. I apparently didn't have time to be in awe with the work that I had been assigned. At least Koakuma made it easy as she was very silent at her duties. During lunch (still in the library), I decided to ask different questions.

"What exactly are you?"

Patchouli never skipped a beat from her work; reading, applying actual magic over the table, making potions - all while giving me the answers she was willing to give me.

"Well if you're asking what Koakuma is, she's a summoned lesser devil who happens to be my assistant and familiar. As for me, I'm a magician."

I shot a glance at the assistant, who averted her gaze. _Wow, she was shy. Lesser Devil, huh? Well, she's not at all what I thought a demon would be. But as for Patchouli here..._

"I can see that you're a...a magician, but _what_ exactly are you?"

"That's my species, actually. Magician. I'm more than human. Somewhat similar to a youkai."

_How is 'magician' a species?_ I decided not to press that though, as she seemed a bit annoyed she had to clarify that for me.

"How old are you?"

"I don't want to give out my actual age, but I'm over a hundred years old, my dear boy."

_Okay, this is starting to get interesting._

"_A hundred?_ You don't look-"

She smiled at me, before interrupting.

"Yes, I know. I look not much older than you. But that's an advantage we non-humans have. We age much slower than you do."

"So, uh, if you're a youkai, then..."

Patchouli went back to her books shaking her head.

"Not a youkai. Similar to one. But do I eat people? That's what you're asking, right? I've tried it, but it doesn't suit my tastes."

She said that so calmly that I just sat there, staring at her, unable to really react. _Okay then. Sorry I asked._

"Yes, that made you uncomfortable. It's true, though. After all, my best friend is a vampire, and she did want me to try it-"

She paused. Whatever she was reading had grabbed her entire attention. She stood up, still looking at the book.

"Koakuma, this author. Get me more books by this author. This is what I've been looking for."

Patchouli glanced up at me, and then back at the book, a little excitement shining in her eyes. I was still a little weirded out by what she said about eating people, but I couldn't help but notice something about her.

"You remind me of a friend."

"Not like Remi, I hope."

Smiling, I decided right there that I liked Patchouli.

"No, not her. A girl named Nagato. She's a big bookworm, too. You even sound somewhat like her, and your hair color is the same."

Patchouli just nodded as Koakuma returned with a stack of books, but I don't know if she heard me. Her attention seemed to be on whatever she was reading. A thought crossed my mind, however, distracting me from where I was for a bit. _Am I dreaming here? Because these people remind me of people I know. Patchouli as some form of Nagato, the assistant Koakuma as an Asahina, and Remilia as Haruhi. Though, where would that leave Koizumi? Not the maid, right? Ah, I hope she doesn't come up to me and start spouting theories and equations and this and that..._

* * *

The hours passed, and Izayoi retrieved me, carrying a thermos. A thermos? I asked her about it.

"Some things find their way from the outside world into Gensokyo; there is a shop in the human village that specializes in such things."

Izayoi handed it to me, saying it was full of fresh coffee.

"Can you take this to Hong Meiling, the chief guard? She's the one at the gate, wearing green."

_The woman in green._

"So, she's the one who saved me then."

"Hmm?"

"Before I blacked out, I saw a woman in green standing over me. She was the one who saved me from that youkai, right?"

Izayoi simply nodded, and then ushered me to the front yard. The door closed behind me, I wanted to just leave. Izayoi's attitude around me was just unbearable, though I wondered why she was acting that way. Not to mention how everyone was hiding information from me. I hoped the guard was a lot better. Because, truth be told, I didn't know if I could stand that treatment much longer. Looking up, I saw that the snow kept coming down somewhat heavy - it had been snowing all day.

I approached the woman in green, the chief guard. Hong Meiling. She still had her back to me, keeping watch outside the gate. I moved next to her, trying to see her face, but her red braids and bangs were obscuring it from where I stood, not letting me see her.

"Yes?"

"Oh, uhm. I have coffee for you. The maid, uh, Miss Izayoi wanted me to bring it to you. Thought you might be cold."

"Yeah, it is cold."

She didn't say anything else, or make any movements, so I offered her the thermos. She took it, still looking out. I still couldn't get a look at her face!

Although I did kind of stare at her bust - she matched adult Asahina, but I shouldn't get into that.

She drank a cup. Since she still hadn't said anything, I turned to leave, unable to believe this treatment from everyone.

"Stay."

_Okay..._

I went back to standing with her, as she drank another cup. She kept looking out at the frozen lake in front of the mansion. It wasn't until then that I truly looked out there as well. She spoke.

"Amazing view, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Yeah it is."

She wasn't kidding. Before us was a bit of land, a trail, and the massive lake. It was frozen solid, but wow, the view. White everywhere, all over the trees. I could see a few fairies flying over the lake, I think playing tag. Fairies flying around, playing tag. Wow. For a while, I felt like I did when I was a kid, whenever I saw something that put me in awe. I mean, fairies flying around.

I was finally able to appreciate where I was. This...Gensokyo.

"This place is fantastic. It would have been prime real estate for people from the human village if they didn't fear what was out here."

She didn't continue, so I stood there for a while before asking.

"You mean your mistress, right?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, her too. No, I'm talking about the Scarlet Devil."

"...Your mistress, right?"

The guard chuckled before she finished her coffee.

"Would you like to hear a story?"

"I suppose. You did ask me to stay here with you."

"Heh, yeah. Yeah, I did. Sometimes people come here, sometimes the curious, and I do talk to them. Most of the time, they talk with me. Only the truly stupid ones try to get by me, though. Or the powerful. But that's not important to what I was gonna say."

She let out a breath, blowing a stream of white condensation into the cold air. It looked like smoke.

"Well, anyway, kid, I haven't had anyone to talk to in a while. To truly talk to. But this story is worth telling. Since you appear to be favored by Lady Remilia, you do deserve to know it...though why I feel like telling you this is actually beyond me."

"You're going off on a tangent here."

"Yeah, yeah I am. Like I said, haven't really talked to anyone new in a while. But let me tell you why people are afraid of this place."

"The Scarlet Devil."

"Mmm-hmm. Lady Remilia took that title, actually, well here anyway. In the outside world, she was known as the Scarlet Devil as well, but in here was a different story. Turns out there was the legend of another Scarlet Devil before she even arrived here. That lake was already called the Scarlet Devil Lake, although people do also call it 'Misty Lake'. Do you want to know about the legend?"

I shrugged. And I didn't know why I didn't react when she said 'outside world'. Maybe I didn't really grasp what she said. Still didn't know what to make of that term.

"I don't see why not. I've got some time to kill until your mistress wakes up anyways."

_And maybe it'll keep me out of the way of Izayoi in there._

"_'Never go near the forests on the north shore. Those who trespass on the forest will be torn asunder by a Scarlet Devil, the ground stained crimson from their blood.' _ At least, that's the tale from the human village. A youkai who thought the humans weak actually had the balls to tell the whole of the village that they were as such, and would spend the night on the north shore."

I could tell Meiling was smiling.

"Next day, the lake was covered in blood. Not just a part of the lake, but the entire lake. Red from shore to shore."

"Oh. You're telling me a horror story."

"No, kid, it's a true story. Now please, let me continue. And help yourself to some coffee."

I did so as she went on. It wasn't bad.

"Almost nobody went to the north shore after that. Only the stupid or foolhardy, or idiots who thought they were brave did such a thing. And each of them who did never came back out of these woods."

She adjusted her beret. I noticed it had what looked like a star on the front.

"Now, kid, you may notice that the mansion behind us is indeed European in fashion, correct?"

"Well, yeah, I suppose. I'm not an expert on such things as...mansion identification."

_What is she getting at here?_

"Well, Lady Remilia had it in Europe. She brought it here to Gensokyo."

"How in the world is it possible for someone to transport an entire mansion?"

Especially a mansion that big.

"How is it possible to transport a human from wherever it is they came from to Gensokyo? It's possible, kid. This is a world of making the impossible possible."

She actually had me there. After all, _my_ world was about making the impossible possible. And trying to fix such things.

"Anyway, Lady Remilia and her friend Lady Patch in the library there were discussing where to go. They had an...well, let's say they had an invitation to come to Gensokyo, and were discussing where to place the mansion. The spot behind us was the ideal one, so they decided upon it. However, there was a problem."

"Again, the Scarlet Devil, right?"

She nodded.

"Lady Remilia got a bit upset that something out there was called 'Scarlet Devil' which wasn't her. She also needed this location, so she decided to do a little hunting. Imagine her surprise when she met the youkai that was the Scarlet Devil just standing there."

Meiling pointed at a spot on the lake.

"On the lake?"

"Yeah. Well, floating over the lake, with blood-colored hair and green eyes. It was just there in a daze, watching Lady Remilia as she approached. Now, Milady could have chosen to get the creature to leave, but instead attacked it. It took a chunk out of her instead. But since she's a vampire, she healed pretty quickly. What followed was an epic battle between the two, tearing at each other's flesh, getting each other's blood all over the place. It was a fight for the ages."

"But since the mansion is here, and Remilia is still alive, I'm assuming she won, right?"

"Right."

"So she killed the Scarlet Devil and took the title for herself?"

"Nope."

"No?"

"Well, she did take the title."

"But-"

Meiling turned to me, an obvious Chinese woman that looked to be in her twenties. She was beautiful, allowing me to stare into her emerald eyes as she brushed her blood-colored bangs to the side.

"She let me live."

The seriousness of her tone, the way her eyes looked at me, it took me off guard. I fell on my back in surprise.

"You...you're..."

_She's a youkai?_

She looked down at me, raising an eyebrow.

"I didn't mind her taking the title. Silly little name given to me, anyway."

"...You're joking, right? You're pulling my leg here?"

She adjusted her clothing, allowing me to see her left shoulder. A bright red scar was there.

"A little tap the mistress gave me that night."

Satisfied with my lack of composure, the guard smiled as she readjusted her clothing and turned back to looking out to the lake. I got up to my feet, dusting myself off, and berating myself for acting like such a dork.

"Milady was impressed with my abilities. She told me so as she had me pinned to the ground. You see, I was 'born', not knowing who or what I was in this body that I have. She gave me an identity. A name. A family. An education. A home. She gave me a purpose. I owe her everything. That, and it was the most kickass fight I've ever been in, unless you count the one with her sister."

"I've yet to meet her sister."

Meiling let out a laugh.

"That's for the best. Trust me. I have worse scars from _that_ fight."

She noticed I wasn't standing as close to her as I did before. Her grin widened.

"Don't worry. I won't bite."

"You're...still a youkai, right?"

"That's beside the point, you tasty-looking morsel."

She gave me a sly smile when she saw her words shook me up.

"Now _that_ was just joking. Relax, kid. I'm more refined than that youkai you ran into. Oh, and I think you spilled the coffee thermos all over the walkway."

_Please don't joke about things like eating me though. I'd appreciate it._ As I picked up the thermos, she sighed.

"I just love looking out there. Out at the lake. The point where I was born, the place where I was fighting with Lady Remilia, it's all in front of me."

She let out another sigh.

"This damn winter. Can't see the water shimmering in the sunlight. It's just bland ice. I mean, it looks okay at times, but it's just not the same. Somebody needs to do something about this."

Meiling saw the confusion on my face over that statement, and looked as if she was going to tell me something, but instead thought better of it. She shook her head.

"Ah, nevermind. And kid...I...I don't know why I told you all this. About me. There's just...something about you that made me want to."

Her eyes narrowed.

"Does that make any sense?"

"Actually, it kind of does."

_Oh, sadly, it does._

"Well, please don't go repeating it. The only ones who really know about me are Lady Patch, the mistress, and her sister. Nobody else knows. Not even Sakuya. Lady Remilia thinks I forgot about it, but it replays in my head daily. Mostly because I felt alive during that fight."

"Don't worry. I can be pretty good at keeping secrets."

_And even when I tell them, Haruhi wouldn't believe them._

Meiling turned back to the lake.

"For some reason, I can't bring myself to tell anyone. Except for you."

"...I almost forgot. You were the one who saved me, right? From that youkai?"

"Ah yeah, her. She should have known better than to enter the yard. _My_ yard. And yes, I was the one who pulled your butt out of the fire there."

"Well, th-"

"No need to thank me, kid."

"Well, thanks anyway."

She didn't speak after that, and I stood with her in silence for a few minutes before I went back in. As I reached the door, I looked back at the guard. She still stood there, looking out. As if in perfect dramatic timing, a gust of wind blew through her hair, making it flutter. She did not react to it at all, just kept her gaze steady.

I had no idea what that was all about. She had given me a good scare, though. I hoped she hadn't done that just to mess with me, but if it was true, then that meant... Well, either she was a liar, or a fearsome creature.

Not a bad looking fearsome creature, though.

My mind made a realization. No, not with Meiling there, but when I turned to leave her. Out of the corner of my eye, through one of the windows, the maid Izayoi was staring at me.

_Why is she so creepy around me? I feel so uneasy being around her it blows my mind. I need to ask her what her problem is. _ Before I even turned around, the door opened, and Sakuya Izayoi stood there. Instinctively I took a step back as she took the thermos.

"Dinner will be ready in an hour. I will escort you to your room and retrieve you when the time comes."

I swallowed hard before I complied. As we walked through the mansion, I got the same funny feeling that I was being watched. And I know I heard footsteps around us. Izayoi either didn't hear them, or paid no mind. She just kept herself composed during the walk though the mansion.

When I got into my room, she locked me in. With nothing but a small bookcase there for entertainment, I decided to read. Shaking my head as I knelt down to choose, I couldn't help but wonder what the hell was going on in this mansion. I was getting tired of this.

* * *

The books in my room were in English. All of them. I was able to read a bit, though I struggled. Interestingly enough, each of them was by Agatha Christie. I made my way through chapter two of _'And Then There Were None'_ before the maid retrieved me. Going down a series of hallways, we came to a large dining room, with a large table to match. Remilia was sitting down in a very ornate chair, and had me sit opposite her. Patchouli was seated to her right, reading again.

"Ah, Kyon. Good to see that you haven't...well, good to see Flan hasn't found you."

_Scars, fear, fights - just who is her sister? And what is with everyone?_

We were served boar meat, green beans, a salad, a simple vegetable soup, and a small loaf of bread each, along with red-colored tea. It was a very western meal. I did dread the tea, because it was the color of blood, but it had a flowery taste to it. Not bad. The meat was a little tough, however.

"Enjoying the meal, Mr. Kyon?"

_Hate that name hate that name hate that name._

"Uh, yeah. You know, I appreciate you taking me in and all, but I would like some answers."

"You'll get them."

There was a minute of silence as I stared at Remilia and Patchouli. They were the only two at the table aside from myself, and they kept quiet, eating. Izayoi and Koakuma stood behind their respective masters.

_Why isn't anybody talking? What is going on?_ I slammed down my utensils, unable to take it anymore.

You know, I'm sorry, but this whole experience had been too much for me to bear. No answers. People avoiding my questions. Some little girl youkai tried to eat me. And I was thrust into working just to eat? _Who are these people?_

"Okay, I definitely get the feeling that there is something nobody is telling me here! I've tried to be polite about it, but I have to put my foot down! What is everyone not telling me? What the hell is going on?"

Remilia scoffed as she put down her tea cup.

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yes! That's why I'm _demanding_ that someone tells me!"

She blinked, her face going blank, as I saw a spark of rage enter her eyes.

"'Demanding'?"

Her eyebrows rose and she bared her fangs. Her wings stretched out as if they doubled in size as she leaned forward in her chair. Her inhuman eyes actually became even more inhuman, if that was possible.

"...You...'demanding'..._me_?"

Chills went up my spine as I stared at the vampire across from me. The way she was looking at me was horrifying. I sank back into my chair. It looked like I couldn't get angry with them the same way I got angry with Koizumi.

"Any-anybody. Someone. I just need to know. Please."

She smiled, satisfied with the way I lost my courage. Her features returned to normal. Normal for a little vampire with bat wings, I guess.

"Hmph. Well, I don't see why not. Patchi? It's okay, right? I don't have to worry about any of that trauma stuff you were worried about should he find out?"

"His physical condition is fine. I'm unsure of his psychological condition. Then again, to fight against a youkai the way he did has shown he has remarkable toughness and a will to survive. It should be just fine, Remi. However, that's just an assumption on my part. He could go into shock, which is what I'm afraid of - _what_ I've been afraid of."

_Shock? What the hell are they saying? What are they so reluctant to tell me?_ I had to control myself a bit, not wanting to insult the vampire again.

"Please. I just want to know. How long was I out? More than a day? A week? I need to get back home as soon as possible! You don't know what's at stake here!"

Remilia sighed and brought both her hands under her chin as she leaned forward.

"Kyon. Little boy. You arrived here on- Patchi? What do they call-Ah, forget it. I don't care what the people from Gensokyo call their months. I still use the normal ones."

She cleared her throat before she continued.

"You arrived here on January 1st. You banged your head in a fight with the little youkai of shadows, and you've been in a coma. It's now April 1st. And no. This isn't some April Fool's joke."

I turned to the window, numbed, as the vampire bemusingly said, "Yes, it is still snowing outside, boy. But trust me - it's April. You've been my guest for over three months."

* * *

-begin-

Unable to find Subject [NAME REDACTED] "KYON".

Still searching.

-end-

* * *

**First off, "youkai" is a generic term for anything paranormal. Ghosts, vampires, fairies, etc, count. Also, it's a japanese belief that if something lives long enough, it can attain youkai status, becoming something more than it normally is. But yeah, youkai is a generic term in the series for the creatures in Gensokyo. And the more powerful ones can attain a human form, as is the case in Touhou. The major characters are in human form.**

**Yes, I took a "badass" Meiling for this one. For those who don't know, Meiling is generally viewed by the fanbase to be a very lazy gate guard, and is depicted as usually sleeping on the job, so much so that in one of the fan-made games, she sleeps throughout the ENTIRE game. Though in Canon, she is a very able guard. It's just that this is first and foremost a Japanese game, and since she's Chinese...well, they do see the Chinese as lower quality. Just gonna leave it at that. It saddens me that she is essentially a low-level punching bag joke character in most fan works. **

**I however sort of took the Meiling from Asatsuki Dou's Doujin "Scarlet Devil", which I actually made a youtube video out of with Dou's consent. Just simply e-mailed him asking to do it, and he responded. **

**And I'm gonna come out straight and say it. The Scarlet Devil Mansion...I will be rather partial to them here. Just putting that out right now. I love everything about the SDM. The only thing about Touhou that I love more than the SDM is Team 9-Ball, but that's another story.**

**One other thing. Yes, pretty much every character in Touhou is female. Just putting that out there for those who don't know. There ARE male characters, but they generally aren't in the official games. And because there are nothing but females, there are...fan pairings. Not going to get into that for this story. But yeah, the fandom really runs away with that kind of stuff. REALLY runs with it. You have NO idea, that is, if you don't know. Which means you wouldn't have the idea in the first place. Yep, just ran in a circle there.**


	3. ICB Episode 3 Dawn

**I'm also going to come out and say this. This is a telling of one of the games, Perfect Cherry Blossom, with splashes of stories from the other fans, rolled into this. Normally I would say that this is "By the fans, for the fans", but my goal here is not just to give you a nice Touhou story if you're into Touhou. As stated, this is written for people who don't know what Touhou is. My goal, besides giving you guys a story, is to help bring in even more people into this universe. But I just wanted to say that the characters, storylines, etc, are not mine. I will attempt to give you where I got the ideas from, if applicable. But yes, this is Perfect Cherry Blossom, and is done by ZUN. Follows the course of that game, except Kyon is now thrown into it...along with something else. **

**What connections does this world have to do with Haruhi Suzumiya? Well, one of the great things about Haruhi Suzumiya is that her world is of making the impossible possible, which gives its fans a lot of freedoms to get away with things.**

**Guess what. Same thing goes for Touhou.**

******The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is owned by Nagaru Tanigawa. Touhou Project is owned by ZUN and Team Shanghai Alice. I own neither. This is a fan fiction of those works.**

**Beta Readers for this Episode(Alphabetical Order):**

**liquidity**

**Serendipital**

**Sky Rider**

**superstarultra**

* * *

**April 1st, 2004**

"_April?_"

Remilia raised an eyebrow, clearly annoyed by my loud outburst.

"Yes, Kyon. April."

I sat there, staring down at my plate of boar meat. I had lost my appetite.

_A quarter of the year. I've been away from the Brigade for that long. Been away from my family. Everybody has to be worried sick._

"You...you...kept me for-_what the hell?_"

"My servants saved your life," the vampire coldly said. "I extended my hospitality towards you, a mere human, when I could have thrown your body back out to the cold, and you dare insult me this way? I deserve a little compensation, after all. Hardly anyone is given invitation into my home, Mr. Kyon. I expect you to be more grateful."

_Seriously. What the hell have I gotten myself into?_

* * *

**Imperfect Cherry Blossom**

**Episode 3**

**["Dawn"]**

* * *

_**"I may meet my end by cold and starvation before this winter meets its end..."**_

**- Sakuya Izayoi, Perfect Cherry Blossom: Prologue**

* * *

"But first, I do think you'd like to know where you are."

I took a few seconds to compose myself, breathing in and out. _Keeping me here for that long...can't get mad though. I am alive because of them._ I answered her.

"Gensokyo."

"Yes, but do you really know the significance of that?"

When Remilia got no answer, she continued. She was obviously looking forward to explaining it to me.

"Imagine, if you will, a dome. And that dome is made of pure energy, surrounding a portion of the Earth, not letting anyone in, or out. But the outside does not know of this side's physical existence. In fact, if you were in the outside world and tried to physically go to where we are right now, you'd only find a desolate forest."

_Not hard for me to imagine, actually. Sounds a lot like a closed space. _ I didn't tell her that, so she continued.

"We can't interfere with those on the outside world, and they can't interfere with us, unless they know how to get in from the barrier."

_Oh man. It __**is **__ a closed space. Exactly like one._

"The major way is through a shrine located on the outside world that is also in here, apparently, though there are other ways. But that's beside the point."

She had Sakuya pour her a glass of wine from a bottle. _Wait...that's too thick to be wine._ Remilia held the glass up to her eye with a smile that exposed her fangs. My eyes widened as I realized what she had done because of the way she was looking at her drink, and at me. She took a sip...of my own blood. Don't ask me how I knew, just...I just knew. I involuntarily gagged. Remilia swirled it around in her mouth a bit before swallowing.

_Oh God. This can't be for real. Please let that not be for real. Please let my imagination be running wild._

The vampire gave me a smirk.

"Oh, just the little compensation I was talking about earlier, about I'll go into a bit more detail later. And yes this is your blood."

Inwardly, I let out a lot of curses. All of which I won't repeat here. Remilia continued.

"But yes, before I get any further from my point. Gensokyo, is the land of fantasy. Basically, to sum it all up, it's the last place for the paranormal to go."

She enjoyed another taste of my blood. _My blood!_

"You see, Kyon, the world has no need for things such as myself any more. Faith is waning, and so is the fear. Gensokyo is the last harbor for youkai; everything is retreating here. But perhaps you would like a history lesson? Well then, why not? I've got time to kill. After all, I'm over 500 years old."

She smiled, her teeth still a bit red _from my blood. Why the hell was this happening in front of me?_

"Well, we ourselves actually moved here fairly recently. But from what I can tell, Gensokyo's actual area was pretty haunted way back when. Oh, it was possibly like the old days," Remilia said with a far-away, almost nostalgic look. "Youkai terrorizing people like they should, fear of the dark, of the unknown. But this particular section of Japan was bad, so much that a couple of foolhardy 'brave' humans banded together to cleanse the area. They couldn't, not as quickly as they hoped. They had to form a village, the human village, and it still stands today. For a long time, they battled with the youkai, and maintained little contact with the rest of Japan. That is, until...when was it, Patchi?"

The magician was still reading and eating, but she answered, not missing a beat.

"1885."

"Ah, yes. 1885, when a barrier was erected. The dome that surrounds the area, cutting it off. Science began replacing faith, which is why the decision was made to seal off this world from the outside world. Apparently they didn't want the paranormal to compete with their scientific revolutions. I don't know the specifics, but it happened. And Gensokyo has been here. From my understanding, quite a few youkai are strong enough to find the border, and come in. They are, after all, powerful. Though we had help coming here, and moving the mansion. We had to, as things were getting bad for us a good number of years ago. Like I said, there is no place for our kind anymore, Kyon, in your world. This is the last harbor of the paranormal."

Last harbor. Paranormal things hiding themselves, keeping out of sight. And that barrier, that dome, this closed space. I didn't want to admit it, but the existence of this place made perfect sense to me. If Koizumi were there, I already knew what he'd have to say. That Haruhi would not only like espers, time travelers, aliens, or sliders. That anything paranormal, anything youkai, if she even thinks it, then in the back of her mind, it might come true. I mean, everyone knows fairies, right? And I was seeing fairy maids in that room as I was going over all this! This was actually for real here! This was where all the fantasy stuff Haruhi thought about ended up! It had to be! I know it would be a stretch for anyone to hear that, but I couldn't deny what was in front of me there!

I looked up, to see her taking way more pleasure in drinking my blood than I would have liked. Remilia noticed my discomfort, and smirked.

"You know, Patchi, his reactions to me drinking his blood are actually more amusing than his reactions to hearing about Gensokyo." She leaned back in her chair. "As though it seems he actually expected what I said. He's not wide-eyed with wonder as I thought he would be. Pity. But yes, your blood. Let's get into that for a minute. But first, watch me enjoy it!"

I did all I could to not squirm as she made extravagant motions while enjoying her drink. Finally, I closed my eyes, not wanting to see any more. _Why was I being put through this?_ This got a laugh from her.

"All right, I've had my fun. Let's get right into the pressing matter of your taste. To be blunt, your taste is unique. At first, it was decent enough, nothing to write home about. But then, then it started to get this strange...how do I describe it, this strange sensation that accompanied it. At first, I didn't know what to make of it. But since you were an easy meal, I thought nothing of it."

_I think I'm going to be sick. And I resent being called an "easy meal"!_

"However-"

Remilia nodded at Patchouli, who then spoke up, breaking from her reading.

"As Remi said, something is happening to you. It has made your blood..." She paused, as if looking for a word. "It has made your blood somewhat 'blessed'. That's the only way I can describe it."

"Not that it has made drinking your blood impossible. I guess the sensation could be akin to it burning. It burns a bit, but in a good way. Almost like a spicy meal. And that 'spice' has actually increased the taste. If I was crazy enough to drink holy water, and if I was a vampire who was actually affected by the methods used to combat evil by the church, I think that's what would have happened, but it might have burned completely through me. Your blood is possibly like weak holy water, if I had to make such an insane comparison. The sick thing is, I haven't had blood as good as yours in a long time. Possibly a hundred years."

My jaw was hanging by then, as this vampire and her magician friend were calmly talking about drinking my blood as if it was a dinner conversation. Which it happened to be. _It shouldn't be!_ Remilia twirled her hair playfully as she took another sip.

"However, I do have my concerns. Lately, it seems as if the 'blessing' has been getting stronger as time goes on - it's been getting a little too 'spicy', which is why I had Patchi study you this past month. And her findings are what brings us to this dinner meeting."

The maid stepped forward.

"Milady."

"Yes?"

"Can we ask him about the winter?"

"No, Sakuya. I highly doubt this human is capable of controlling the weather."

_Me controlling the weather? Is that what her attitude was all about all day? She thinks I'm controlling the weather? That's a new one for me._

"But, Milady, ever since he has shown up, winter has not ended. Our supplies are low, and we'll run out within the next week!"

_Wait what's going on? "Winter has not ended"?_

Remilia glared at her.

"Sakuya, you know better than to bring up our business in front of a guest! And besides, I said it wasn't a problem!"

"Milady!"

"_Sakuya!_"

I couldn't help but feel uncomfortable with this little...spat. Patchouli stared at the both of them before speaking.

"Actually, Remi, I think I can make an explanation, and help Izayoi. But first, I need to show you something."

The pale girl turned to Izayoi.

"Open the window."

"...I...yes, Lady Patchouli."

The maid did as such, and the chilled evening air came into the room, blasting in.

"_What's the meaning of this, Patchi?_"

"Look."

A single cherry blossom flew in. The air blew it towards Remilia's side of the table, but it made a turn in midair, and came right for me. I backed up in my chair a bit as the thing drifted towards me. It simply came down on my hand, and with a red glow, it appeared that it was absorbed into my body. I let out a choked yelp as I instantly felt a bit warmer. For a brief second, I had a red aura surrounding my body, and then it was gone, along with the warm sensation.

Patchouli simply sipped her tea and said, "You may close the window now, Izayoi."

Once the window was closed, Izayoi then walked back to Remilia's side, her eyes narrowed as she looked at me. Hell, all eyes in the room were on me. Remilia leaned forward in her chair, rubbing her chin.

"What in the world was that?"

_**You're**__ asking that?!_

"I'd like to know that too! What happened to me?" I asked.

Patchouli took another sip of tea before speaking.

"It happened two weeks ago when his room got too hot, and I opened the window. A cherry blossom flew in, and touched him, doing exactly what it did just now. It also caused him to stir. I had Koakuma collect as many as she could since they are attracted to him and have gathered around the mansion, and I kept applying them to him. Yesterday, I applied a good number, and a barrier surrounded him. It was amazing. It also managed to completely heal him, getting rid of Remi's fang marks on his neck, eliminated the concussion and, as you can see, woke him from his coma."

_Fang marks...Remilia fed on me while I was in a coma!_ Again, I had to keep myself composed. She actually took advantage of me while I was out! And that was when she probably filled up that wine bottle too, to savor it! I was her personal drinking fountain!

Remilia showed obvious interest in all of this.

"Do you have any more of those cherry blossoms?"

"Yes, Remi. Koakuma!"

The little devil girl appeared from the shadows behind Patchouli, walked over to Remilia, and handed her a cherry blossom from her pocket. Remilia took it and studied it in her hand.

"Well, it's just an ordinary cherry blossom. So, why is it that it responds to him?"

She flicked it into the air, and with no wind, it somehow managed to drift right towards me. This time, I reached out for it, the little blossom. As soon as it touched me, this electric sensation went through my body. I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Patchouli motioned to me.

"It's happening, Remi. Watch."

A burst of air expelled from my location, knocking over my cup and pushing my dish away. The red aura surrounded me, more intense this time. The real kicker however, was this symbol of light that was surrounding me. It was in a pattern, starting out in a fairly wide area surrounding me, and kind of slowly shrank back towards me.

_Okay, even though this is scary as hell, I have to admit it's pretty cool._

Remilia's eyes shone with a bit of wonder, but she still kept herself composed.

"Okay, Patchi. There is only so much I can take. Explanations...?"

"I'll show you. Izayoi, throw a knife at him."

_Wait, what?_

Immediately, a knife came right for my head. I raised my arms to shield myself but the red aura flashed, then disappeared, along with the barrier. I thought I was dead for a second, but I could hear myself breathing. Lowering my arms, I saw the knife clattering on the dining room table, and Izayoi was giving me a confused look. Remilia apparently found this amusing, as she was grinning. Patchouli took a sip of tea before continuing.

"That was the barrier. As you saw, it was a very strange symbol. I had to do some research before I found out what it was earlier today. Very obscure. Hasn't been seen in a thousand years when a whole monastery was wiped out. Very powerful - nothing can break that barrier for one hit. In other words, as long as it's active, which isn't for very long, he's invincible. For that one hit."

I wanted to yell at all of them for being so calm about throwing a knife at my head, but Patchouli's speech calmed me a bit...if you could remain calm in a situation like that.

As for what Patchouli said, well, that's...actually beyond "pretty cool"! Even though the barrier was gone, I couldn't help but stare into my hands, a feeling of amazement washing over me.

_How about that. I finally have something special about me._

The vampire spoke, the bit of excitement in her voice noticable.

"Can we copy it, Patchi? The symbol? I'd like to give the shrine maiden a surprise with it if we can!"

"Sorry, Remi. To do so takes a vast amount of magical power, more than I can do, more than you can do, more than most of us can do even when combining our strengths, but due mostly to our disciplines, I believe. To attempt to copy such a barrier with the dark arts would take a lot of power. The activation appears to be with the boy and the cherry blossoms. Which brings me to his 'blessing'."

"So that's it then?"

"Yes. It's as if he's blessed by a God...I think."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. _Really? We're getting into that annoyance? Then again, it is the fall-back to explain everything._ Remilia shook her head.

"'You think?' Patchi, you've got to give me more than that."

"It's difficult to explain because this is so unusual. The 'blessed' power he's gaining is coming not from within Gensokyo, but from outside of it. And I think it has something to do with this."

"Outside?"

"Yes. It's my theory that outside Gensokyo..."

As Patchouli spoke with Remilia, I felt bad about what might be happening out there. Back home, with my family. My parents must be sick with worry. Back home, back with the Brigade. Haruhi must have been freaking out that a member of her Brigade had gone and disappeared. Which could only mean that Nagato, Asahina, and Koizumi's workload of keeping her placid was at a high chance of failure, if it hadn't failed already. This might have undone the world. My only hope was that if I ever got out of there, that I could contact adult Asahina and get her to take me back in time to when I disappeared. _That's got to be the only way I can make this right. Otherwise, it's the end of the world._

Sad that I'm thinking more of the consequences of being away from the brigade than the consequences of being away from my family, isn't it? But if the world is undone, then my family would be undone along with it. So...my priorities apparently have to side with that club I'm in.

I watched them talk to each other. They needed to know the situation. Because _I_ needed to get back home.

"Hold on."

They all turned to me. I let out a heavy sigh, steeling myself.

_I need to get back home. I need to get back home. I need to do this. I've got no choice, do I? I have to get back. Everyone...please forgive me for this._

"...It's about time I told you what's been going on in my life."

* * *

What followed was one long hour of me telling people things I thought I would never tell. For a while, my heart ached, since I was betraying the trust of Koizumi, Nagato, and Asahina, along with their respective organizations. But I needed to get back to them, so I kept at it, revealing to these people I haven't even known for a day the major events that pertained to Haruhi. They were silent throughout the explanation, Remilia occasionally taking a sip from her glass, but mostly just looking directly at me. Her eyes narrowed further, grew more intense as my story went on. Izayoi though, was showing genuine interest, though not at first. She would occasionally look around for the first ten minutes, but eventually she became hooked. Patchouli just sat there looking at me with the same expression she always had. Truly, she was a lot like Nagato. I also told them what I thought Gensokyo really was, in its relationship with Haruhi, because it made perfect sense in my mind. After all, it was _my_ reality where things like this were caused by her.

Remilia blinked at me, holding her head like she had a headache.

"So...you're saying that everything paranormal was created by a little girl..._including me_?"

I did my best not to upset Remilia further.

"If their theories are correct, then yes. The world didn't exist until four years ago, or it did, and time travelers can't go past four years ago, or it was just an explosion of data that caused everything. To tell the truth, I find those theories far-fetched myself, especially the world creation one, because I can still remember things that happened before then."

Patchouli interjected, a bit of excitement in her eyes after hearing about this.

"It's not far-fetched, Remi. Memories can be altered. I have a few spells that can do so, but if this child is as powerful as Kyon says she is, if she can create everything through sheer unconscious will, then why not memories? Why not fool everyone that we've been actually living before that time?"

"_So she's making a fool of me, eh?_"

Izayoi hurriedly said, "Please, milady. Calm yourself."

Remilia sat there, sulking. Just like Haruhi. And I guess she made the connection, because again, her eyebrows raised.

"...I remind you of her, don't I? That's what you were saying?"

She rose from her chair, glaring directly into my soul. She looked like she wanted to say something, but the anger drained from her face, and instead she started to laugh. She plopped down onto her chair and took a sip of my blood.

"_Ahahaha!_ I'm like a God! Of course I'm like a God! _Ahahaha!_ Sakuya! More blood!"

The maid refilled her glass with my blood. I once again gagged.

"Okay, so, boy, you save the world even though there is nothing extraordinary about you...well, except for what is happening to you now. I'd think you're lying, but your heartbeat hasn't increased, so you can't be. And the way you're telling me this, I can't help but believe it. Unless that concussion messed up your brain, you _are_ telling the honest truth. Amazing. Just amazing. So, defying those more powerful than you is your thing then, right? These celestials, a complete re-write of existence, time-loops, talking cats...oh, makes me wonder why I had to retreat to this place if such interesting things are going on out there. I mean, imagine! Traveling through time!"

She let out another chuckle.

"Well, I do have someone who has some degree of control over time, but I don't think she can travel through it like you say those travelers do. She merely stops it."

She glanced at Izayoi..._Izayoi?_

"Sakuya! Show him!"

One second, the maid was beside Remilia, her blue eyes beginning to glow red. The next, she was to my left. I yelped as I fell out of my chair in surprise. That got a laugh from Remilia. Then Izayoi disappeared. When I got up, she was back at Remilia's side.

"Ah, looks like you frightened the poor boy!" Remilia happily said. "Please, sit back down!"

I stood there for a while, not knowing how much more I could take of them messing around with me. As I sat back down, the time-stopping maid glanced over at Patchouli.

"Ah yes. Izayoi's problem."

"Sakuya, I keep telling you there is no problem! This whole winter thing will sort itself out!"

"Remi, may I? Now, I think we understand that he is reacting to these cherry blossoms due to the blessing he has gotten from this 'creator', correct? The question is, where are the cherry blossoms coming from?"

It was as if a light bulb turned on in Izayoi's head. Her demeanor was actually something other than suspicion for the first time as her eyes widened and she blurted out her realization.

"It's spring somewhere in Gensokyo!"

"Correct. And contrary to what you keep saying, Remi, this is a problem. We are almost out of candles, meat, salt, coal, and firewood, just to name a few things. And tonight we just ran out of the flowers you use for your tea."

Remilia almost dropped her wine glass in surprise. Which would have been bad, you know, because my blood would have been spilled out all over the place and all. My blood shouldn't even have been in a position to spill out all over the place!

However, their problem of winter going on intrigued me. I wanted to hear more. Remilia coughed a bit, possibly choking a bit on my blood. She swallowed hard before asking Patchouli the following.

"What about the backup-" she began to ask Patchouli.

The librarian waved her hand, cutting off Remilia. Patchouli's tone was somewhat somber.

"All gone. Even the ones I've been artificially making. The snow storms are actually getting worse, Remi, and it's difficult to send anyone out there. We've lost five fairies just this past week. Twenty-one in total excluding them. Not to mention the collapse in the East Wing three days ago."

_Crap. This is serious._

"Even Meiling is having a hard time staying out there."

"Actually, it's not that bad."

I turned to see Meiling leaning against the wall behind me, arms crossed. _When did she get there?_ She gave me a smile and a quick two-finger salute.

"Interesting barrier and story, kid."

Obviously she'd been there long enough. When she didn't say anything else, I turned back to my dinner companions. I could only wonder what problems these people were having. Remilia drummed her fingernails on the table for a while as she sat there, processing this. She gave me, Patchouli, and Izayoi a look before she cleared her throat.

"Very well. Sakuya, you have my permission to find out what is going on, and end it."

"Thank you, Mila-"

"And take the boy with you."

The maid's eyes widened. Though I think mine beat hers.

"_What?_"

Meiling walked forward - I saw her stop at the edge of my vision.

"Milady, are you sure about that? I know we've been here for just a couple of decades, but we don't really know what exactly is out there. Some of the humans I've talked to have told of things way worse than the youkai we know of. There are rumors like you wouldn't believe, Milady."

"Meiling, I appreciate your concerns. However, I'm not going to give much thought to rumors, and I have faith in Sakuya's combat abilities. Besides, the blossoms are attracted to the boy. Just use him to find the source of where they're coming from, and it should be over fairly quickly. And no, Kyon, that's not negotiable. You're going with Sakuya. Go get some rest after dinner. You will both start out at the crack of dawn, and I want you both back here as soon as possible."

Meiling shrugged. Izayoi started to say something, but instead bowed.

"I-Yes, Milady. Thank you."

What just happened? I sat there, dazed. _ Didn't they say it's dangerous out there? And we're going out there? There? With that little child youkai? There, where other things worse than the youkai were? There, where the snowstorm had claimed members of their staff?_

And of course, all of my inner protests would go heard only by me. It was like I never left the Brigade!

"Sakuya! Dessert!"

That was Remilia. The next instant, a slice of cake appeared in front of the vampire. It was a two layered cake with whipped cream icing, a strawberry on top and red filling. She smiled as she began to eat. It actually looked good, but considering that I hadn't finished my meal... My stone cold meal...

_Ugh. What a dinner. I find out I'm in some alternate closed space world full of youkai, and now I have to go out there. And not only that, but I don't get dessert._

* * *

After dinner, Izayoi began to lead me back to my room. She slowed down, looking back. A few maids were hanging around doing nothing, but the head maid told them to get to work. When we were alone in the hallway, Izayoi turned to me, her features softening, she wasn't so...I guess "stiff" would be the word to use. She was more relaxed.

"I want to apologize."

Even her voice showed she wasn't so "stiff".

"For what?"

"I thought you were the one behind this winter. And I've been...I've been suspicious of you."

_Well that explains things._

"The way you've been acting all day towards me, right?"

"Yes. I've actually wanted to see if...if...killing you would have brought spring back."

Yeah, that statement made me take a step back. Especially the calm way she said it! She brought her palm to her forehead, looking tired.

"Again, I'm sorry. I enjoy working here, but being stuck inside all day is quite maddening. That, and we keep losing servants, and there's that collapse Lady Patchouli mentioned. One of my best maids died because of..."

She sighed, closing her eyes and not finishing that sentence.

"I just want this winter over with."

"You're a...bit desperate."

(Boy is _that_ an understatement, especially since she said she wanted to see if killing me would fix things - just like Asakura!)

"Yes. Thing is, Lady Patchouli doesn't know how bad it really is. We're actually _out_ of a lot of things. That boar we had for dinner was actually the last major animal we had to eat. And we have a lot of mouths to feed in this mansion. It's way worse than any of them think. I've had to make do with so little, so again, I'm sorry."

I stared at the maid for a while, unsure of what to say, really. I had to force myself to speak.

"Well, I'm not crazy about your willingness to kill me to fix your problems, but I at least see where you're coming from here."

Izayoi gave me a little apologetic smile.

"I just wanted to get that off my chest. Because I know you noticed how I behaved around you. And I do want to apologize for my actions...and my wanting to kill you. Like I said, it's kind of maddening staying inside."

"Hmph. At least you're honest about it."

_As honest as one could be about planning a murder, I suppose._

"Yeah, well, I'm sorry. If there is anything I can do to make up for it, then just tell me."

I nodded for a bit, and then looked around. My heart was pounding, because of what I wanted to ask. Though since she was a maid and she said that, another completely different thought flashed through my mind, but I didn't want to get into that, as I quickly let it go. And I don't think I'll share such a thought with anyone. _*ahem*_ Anyway, off on a tangent here.

"So...you can stop time?"

She smiled, her eyes shining.

"Oh. Oh I see. Okay, kid. Fair enough."

I couldn't help but smile back. At least she got the gist of what I wanted.

"'Kid'? You're only a few years older than me... Unless you're a youkai and way older than me."

She had a full-blown grin.

"No, I'm a human, the only human employed by Lady Remilia. But you want to experience it, don't you? Stopping time? Well, grab my hand. And don't freak out, because it's a weird sensation the first few times."

I did so, and watched as her eyes glowed red. Save for us, the world suddenly (and violently) shifted to gray, the "impact",(if I could call it that) almost knocking me off my feet. Izayoi stood there just fine. She then led me by the hand through the halls, our footsteps somehow muffled and amplified at the same time, echoing. We walked past frozen maids, windows with snowflakes perfectly framed outside through the panes of glass. There was a beauty in this, one that I couldn't describe. I don't want to get too poetic here, but it was almost as if I were seeing things through somebody else's eyes, if such a saying made sense for this experience.

"This is...this is awesome!"

"Well you're easily amused."

"Izayoi, how does an amazing person like yourself become just a maid?"

She stopped and gave me a deadpan look. The color returned to the world as we came back into time, and her eyes went back to blue. I instantly regretted asking that.

"That's none of your business."

"I...well, I didn't mean to offend. I'm just blown away by what you can do."

Izayoi sighed before motioning to the door. We were near my room.

"...I don't...want to tell you."

Well, at least she didn't try to ease me into that. Standing there in silence for a bit, I gave a light shrug.

"I'm sorry."

"...Yeah."

She wasn't making eye contact. It was easy to see that this was uncomfortable for her.

"Please go to bed. We'll have a full day tomorrow, though hopefully we can end it quickly."

She turned and walked down the hall.

"Wait, Izayoi. I'm sorry!"

She stopped, and turned her head a bit.

"You don't have to call me Izayoi. Sakuya will do just fine."

Sakuya continued walking, leaving me there alone. I let out another sigh. _Well how the hell was I supposed to know it was a touchy subject? What is someone, who can control time, doing as a servant? Though, I guess if she wanted to take a quick nap break when she wanted, it would come in handy. I guess that's one perk._

I opened my bedroom door, thinking of other ways it could be helpful, when I saw something that made me look around, quickly enter, and close the door.

Somebody had left papers on my pillow, a small stack of them.

Immediately I thought Nagato, Koizumi, or someone else from my world had left them there. Grabbing them, I found they were torn pages from a book of some kind.

It had a vague tale of a youkai tree, a tree called the Saigyou Ayakashi. It caused people who viewed it as it bloomed to fall asleep under it. And then it killed them, taking their lives, their souls, and adding to its power. Eventually it got powerful enough to make people go mad so they allowed themselves to be killed by this thing, or bring more people to view it. One winter, a group managed to temporarily seal it and keep it from blooming for well over a decade. A woman was sacrificed to seal it away for good, and it disappeared from the world. It was an interesting read, a basic fairy tale, I supposed. Thankfully it was in Japanese, so I had something to read that I didn't struggle with.

The last page, though, was a handwritten note. Its elegance was stupefying; such penmanship! But the message...

_"Should the Saigyou Ayakashi ever bloom again by reviving the sacrifice, the world will know once again the unstoppable terror of the youkai tree. Youkai and humans alike will fall under its spell, and gladly allow themselves to be consumed."_

Interesting. I began to wonder who left the papers. It couldn't have been Patchouli or Koakuma, they loved their books and I couldn't see them ripping them up for me. Remilia? No, she's the type who would flat-out tell me something, like Haruhi. Sakuya? A possibility. But I didn't think it was her. Then again, I'd known these people for less than a day. And this didn't seem like something Nagato or Koizumi or anyone else from my world would do. I mean, if they could bring something like this in, then why not try to get me out, or make some contact that said "Kyon, we're working on getting you out of there" or what-not.

I put the pages in my coat pocket. _Maybe I'll ask Sakuya if she was the one who put these here, maybe not. Either way, I'll want to look at them later, see if there was some sort of hidden message or something._

As long as it didn't have to do with mathematical equations...

* * *

**April 2nd, 2004**

After I woke up, I went outside, on the front porch of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, and back again in my winter school clothes - interesting they came in with me, considering I was nowhere near my school when I came to Gensokyo. Anyway, the snow storm had lightened up a bit, as it was just flurries, and the dawn was coming in, coloring the sky in a very impressive array of colors. I would have appreciated it if I wasn't so tired - I only got about four hours of sleep. I let out a big yawn, and Sakuya, in her maid outfit and wearing a scarf, gave me the thermos again as she exited the doors behind me.

"Uh...thanks."

I poured myself a cup of coffee.

"You'll need it, apparently. Why couldn't you fall asleep?"

"I'm just very nervous about this. It's going to be dangerous, isn't it?"

"Dangerous?"

She motioned to an icicle that was hanging off the fountain.

"I'll show you dangerous."

Instantly, knives surrounded the icicle, and for a split second, they hung in midair. Then they all converged on it at a high speed, turning it into flakes of ice. I nearly dropped my cup of coffee. She then looked back at me with a little smile. I gave a weak smile back. I did have to admit, that was pretty cool.

"So what next? A steamroller?"

She raised an eyebrow.

"Huh?"

"Uhm, nevermind. Sorry. A joke from the outside world."

I had to keep myself from shouting "Za Warudo!"

"Uh-huh. So, you ready then?"

"I uh, I guess. If you need me to be some sort of cherry blossom beacon or whatever, I suppose that's fine with me."

That was a bit of a lie on my part. I did not want to go out there.

"Morning, you two."

Meiling walked past us towards the gate, carrying a satchel and another thermos. We started to walk with her.

"Ready to set off?"

Sakuya gave a single nod.

"Yes, Meiling. How is the new lock coming along?"

"Ah, the fairies know nothing about blacksmithing. And the three that did are dead from the snowstorm after that roof collapse in the east wing. Lady Patch tried to make a new lock, but it always has to be with some sort of magical property with her. Damn annoying, because if I ever get into an overwhelming fight and run out of magical power, I'll be stuck out there."

"Hmph. As if anything can overwhelm you. And besides, you can fly over if you remember to save enough power to do so."

_She can fly? Well, didn't she say she was flying/floating over the lake? That is, if her story is to be believed._

Meiling chuckled.

"Well, you never know. But I just need a normal lock. The best ones are made in the human village though, and until it's safer to go over there, I'm out of luck."

"Well I was lucky that it was broken in the first place. Otherwise I would have been a midnight snack for that little youkai," I said.

She flat-out laughed as she opened the gate for us.

"Hah! Yeah, well, you can thank the Black-White for that, kid."

"...Black-White?"

"Oh, that's right, Meiling. He doesn't know."

_There is a lot I don't know in here. I'm new, remember?_

"Well, that's okay. He doesn't need to know about our defeat. Though maybe he should."

"Defeat?"

As I asked that, Sakuya angrily scowled at the guard.

"_Meiling_!"

"By the way, Sakuya, how are the ribs? I was afraid the Red-White really did you in when she broke them."

A knife flew towards Meiling from behind, and she caught it at the last second. She handed it back to Sakuya as if it was nothing.

"Obviously they're doing good if you can throw like that. Okay, I'll leave you two to do your jobs."

At first I was horrified that Sakuya threw a knife at her co-worker, but seeing them take it in stride, I couldn't help but shake my head a bit before I asked a question.

"You're not coming with us?"

"Nope. I have a purpose here, to guard the door and protect the people inside."

Too bad. Not insulting the maid here, but if what the guard told me the day before was true, I wouldn't have minded having her be my guide. Meiling handed me the satchel.

"Kid, your lighter and flashlight are in there, as well as some breakfast to go, two lunches, a few servings of tea leaves, and various other things Lady Patch thought you might need for this excursion. And I really do hope you two can end this winter. It's been getting worse actually. That, and since I can't fulfill my duties as the gardener as well, the days are just boring. And, kid?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't worry. We talked with the mistress, and she said that if you do this, we'll work on getting you back home somehow."

I stared down at the satchel handed to me, the prospect of going out getting a little better. _If __these people can get me out of here, then maybe, just maybe, I can do this for them._

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

"But uh...'things worse than youkai'? What was that all about last night?"

Meiling sighed and crossed her arms, her smile fading.

"Well you see kid, no human has made the effort to truly map out Gensokyo, and neither have many youkai. I've been here all my life and I still don't know that much about this place. There are rumors of a village of Kappas, Tengus, and the like. There's even one really nasty rumor of a path directly to Hell itself."

_You know what, I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that._ Sakuya's jaw dropped.

"I haven't even heard that one, and my maids are all gossip queens."

"Point is, chances are you'll end up going somewhere where no human has gone before, and lived to tell about it. Though the winter could work in your favor with that, as a lot of youkai aren't out and about. That, and you have Sakuya with you, kid. She's a vicious fighter. You're in good hands. Although, Sakuya, you do know there is a chance they'll be out there too, right? I think this might qualify as an 'incident'."

Sakuya slowly nodded.

"Yeah, those two..."

I'd put down here who they spoke of, but we'd actually run into those two in question later. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

And so began our great journey together. Me and a maid. Kind of like my Saturdays when we drew lots and I was paired with Asahina. Except this wasn't like those Saturday excursions I had with the Brigade, looking for paranormal activities in places that had none. I was in a world that had paranormal activities going on all over the place. And _this_ maid could stop time and throw knives with precision.

Might as well have been looking for a needle in a stack of needles. With things looking to eat you alive.

_Just got to follow the trail of cherry blossoms in the wind..._

_I hope we can do this quickly and painlessly._

* * *

The fox woman watched as the two left the mansion, the maid and the boy, while dusting off some of the snow that had gathered on her blue and white outfit, and her nine tails. She'd have to get back to her mistress and report that things were going according to what was foretold. She had an idea of what to do next, but she needed to make sure. She'd never seen her mistress this focused in a while, driven like this. What was happening though did call for all of this attention.

The woman sighed, still a little shaken up from last night's mission. She was lucky too, she had gotten in and placed the notes, sure that the two were quite some time from the room, but then they instantly appeared outside, talking. She nearly knocked over the pitcher of water in surprise. If it weren't for her master's power, she would have been caught by the boy, or worse, the maid.

Ah well, she got it done, and now had to head home for the next objective. However, she had an idea of what was to be done next.

The shrine maiden in red and white, and the witch in black and white.

She'd have to be careful about the maiden though. The witch was friendly enough, it seemed, but the shrine maiden, the miko, was ruthless when it came to youkai.

The two left the guard, and were heading towards the cherry blossoms. The woman looked up at the heavens, knowing where they would go. Would they be ready for this?

"Killing people by merely willing it..."

She hoped they would be ready to face the one behind it all.

* * *

-begin-

Unable to update.

Subject [NAME REDACTED] "KYON" still missing.

-end-


	4. ICB Episode 4 Cold

**Yes, I will be using the in-game dialogue here and there. Those are done by ZUN, of course.**

**Just a reminder, kiddos. Reviews are helpful.**

**The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is owned by Nagaru Tanigawa. Touhou Project is owned by ZUN and Team Shanghai Alice. I own neither. This is a fan fiction of those works.**

**Beta Readers for this Episode(Alphabetical Order):**

**liquidity **(M.I.A. after this episode)

**Serendipital**

**Sky Rider**

**superstarultra**

* * *

The woman with the parasol looked down on Gensokyo as it was beginning a new day.

Today would be the day, a brand new day. Normally she'd say "full of possibilities", but she knew what would have to happen on this day.

Her gaze drifted upwards and she watched as the snowflakes came down. Thankfully the storm was lighter than it had been in the past week. It was still snowing, but at least everyone would get a reprieve. Later though...with the way the snowstorms have been acting, it was always like this. The calm before...

She yawned, cutting off that phrase. She knew that the maid and the boy were now going to track down the source of the cherry blossoms, thanks to her servant. Yet they'd need help. She'd have to get the other two to help out, the shrine maiden and the witch. This would be too much for the boy and his companion alone. Have her servant lead them all to each other, and they'd have enough power to overcome anything.

It shouldn't be too hard to do so. Thankfully the blossoms were attracted to the boy. She wasn't sure _exactly_ why. Well, she had an idea why. It was a matter of asking _how_ instead of _why_. The why she had some idea, sadly had a hand in it, allowing...no, she couldn't think about it. Knowing that this was somehow her fault as well was a bit heartbreaking, because of who was involved. That she allowed a certain person to go to the outside world, and do what she did. She had to act, actually, bringing the boy into Gensokyo. Kyon. She didn't like it, but if the one called Nagato ever got full use of her faculties and detected what was done to the boy back in December, there would be trouble. But his "blessing", as that magician Patchouli called it, from Haruhi Suzumiya was quite a surprise. It improved the barrier, made it last longer, and allowed him to heal, among other things. He'd actually be useful in here.

The woman smiled before she turned to go to back inside to sleep. She'd make the arrangements to get them together, then she'd have a nice slumber. By the time she woke up, everything would be just fine. And why not? The boy became invincible for one hit with that barrier.

Yes, the barrier that erected around him when he collected the blossoms.

That damn barrier she thought she would never have to see again.

* * *

**Imperfect Cherry Blossom**

**E****pisode 4**

**["Cold"]**

* * *

**=The Spring of Silvery Snow=**

_**"Cherry petals should have fallen like snowflakes...**_

_**However, it was still silver with snow."**_

**-Touhou 7, Perfect Cherry Blossom - Stage 1**

* * *

"...And then Lady Flandre made a new friend in the Black-White."

Since I couldn't fly (_She could fly! Why the hell didn't she tell me_?) we walked for a bit, following the trail of cherry blossoms in the wind. We had a lot of time to kill. She told me everything about what apparently people in Gensokyo called the "Scarlet Mist Incident". About how Remilia cast a red mist all over the land to block out the sun so she could go outside, and it attracted the attention of two individuals, the "Black-White" and the "Red-White" that they were talking about. They tore through the defenses that the mansion put up, and defeated everyone in their way in Danmaku battles.

Which started a whole _new_ conversation about what Danmaku was. It was a "game" played by the powerful residents of Gensokyo, made up by the "Red-White". This game involved using one's power to create a field of danmaku, which were essentially non-lethal bullets (copies of something in one's possession, although they would retain some of their original properties), and the first to directly tag the opponent enough times either with danmaku or physical attacks to score a knockout would win that round. Alongside her real silver knives, Sakuya had knife danmaku, and could surround an opponent with her barrages.

Though apparently that didn't go well with the rules. One of the major rules was that nobody's power was absolute. Danmaku leveled the playing field. There were non-spell card danmaku, and spell card danmaku attacks. Spell cards were named complex attacks set up in advance, in a pattern determined by the owner, but if an opponent could dodge every single danmaku during a spell card without using one themselves or getting hit, they "captured" that card, meaning they got a copy of it, which was the worst thing that could happen as they could study it, effectively nullifying future use. Danmaku was used to avoid violence and death for any differences the powerful had in Gensokyo, or for bragging rights. And apparently, there was a lot of pride going around in this place, with youkai, fairies, and the like wanting to prove their superiority over each other.

She gave me the rules, and I do mean the complete rules. It was mind boggling, really, the details that go into Danmaku. I'm just going to sum it all up in laymen terms, because I am not about to spend fifteen minutes going over those rules like Sakuya did.

It's shooting a flurry of knockout magic without using one hundred percent of one's power. And not killing the opponent in the process. That's pretty much it.

Sakuya showed me, in fact. She held a real knife in her right hand, and a second knife formed in her left hand. She asked me to touch the new knife, and when I did, it disappeared in a bright light, and left a feeling on my fingers not unlike a big static electricity charge. It stung like hell for the first few seconds, and left a numbing sensation in my hand afterwards. It would later leave that hand sore.

Suffice to say, I didn't like doing that and gave her a nasty look. She seemed amused by my reaction.

Sakuya got back to the story to explain further. The two girls had followed the mist, defeated Meiling, defeated Patchouli and Koakuma, blazed through the last stand Sakuya made with all the maid fairies (breaking her ribs in the process, because Sakuya refused to stay down), before fighting Remilia on top of the mansion, where the vampire was defeated. The proud vampire then swore allegiance to the two, stating that, "Your friends are now my friends, and your enemies are now my enemies." She also ended the mist. Now if she wants to go outside, she used an umbrella to block the sun.

Then, a few days later, Remilia and Sakuya showed up where the Red-White and Black-White girls were, and coaxed them to go to the mansion, where a disaster happened. Remilia's little sister, Flandre, who had spent nearly half a millenia locked up in the basement, had broken loose and was destroying everything, yet the two girls were able to defeat her by getting her to fight them in a danmaku battle. Remilia had wanted the two to taste defeat at the hands of her sister, but it backfired. As Sakuya put it, they came back and played "Keep away" with Remilia's umbrella until nightfall.

I was still shaking my head about a certain point she said in her story - about Remilia keeping Flandre locked away.

"I can't believe that Remilia kept her own sister in the basement!"

"Well, it was for the best."

She said that as if it were a simple matter-of-fact thing! _Who does that to their own sister?!_

"How in the world could it be for the best?"

Sakuya turned to me. The light provided by the early morning was breathtaking when it shone through the trees of the forest we were in as it lit up her face. It was obvious she was attempting to not show any emotion while saying this.

"Lady Flandre...is very dangerous. She can destroy pretty much anything."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean exactly what I say. Nothing can hold her but her love for her sister. She's merciless on the atomic level, and I do mean that. Lady Flandre is that powerful. And she has a bad habit of breaking her toys, which is why we had you working yesterday."

I stared at her for a second, dumbstruck.

"That makes no sense."

_Yeah, what the hell are you getting at?_

"The only way Lady Flandre will allow you to live is if you either work for her sister, be a friend of her sister, can prove your strength to her, or become her playmate. Or as she calls them, 'toys'."

I stopped in my tracks. The way she was looking at me...she was serious about this.

"Toys?"

"Yes. And all day yesterday, she was asking if she could play with you."

I again felt chills, and not from the cold that time.

"She was...she was _watching_ me?"

Boy, and I thought it was just the mansion giving me creeps! I had a real reason to be on edge the day before! _That little girl I saw that ducked out of sight as I turned around...that was her? Well, I guess I have to find the time to thank Sakuya for keeping me busy as a worker then._

"Of course. And I had to ensure she didn't try to make contact with you. Even though she has those rules for herself, she sometimes even breaks those."

Sakuya sighed, not pleased that she was saying this.

"You see, well, I shouldn't be saying this about my mistress's little sister, but...Lady Flandre is certifiably insane. And I'll leave it at that."

I was kind of glad she would leave it at that, as I was unsure whether I wanted to know more about Flandre. Everything I'd heard about that vampire was nothing but bad news. Even Meiling was wary of Flandre, it seemed.

Sakuya turned to keep walking, except that there was a little girl in front of us.

Scratch that. A fairy. The wings were a dead giveaway. A fairy that had short, messy blue hair with a blue ribbon, a pink blouse, and a blue jumper dress. She stood there with her arms crossed. And call me crazy (considering where I was, I think that would make me normal here), but it felt like it got colder just by her mere presence.

It was a while before anyone spoke... Well, before the fairy spoke.

"Where ya going?"

Sakuya stood there, staring at the fairy. I couldn't help but stare too. The way this fairy stood was as if she was trying to be intimidating.

"Hey, I know you. You're that fairy that lives by the lake."

Sakuya didn't seem threatened by the fairy in blue, so I felt kind of relieved. You know, this fairy was kind of cute in a way.

"You didn't answer my question, ya know! Don'tcha know that's rude?"

Sakuya kept walking, grabbing my hand. We were about to pass the little fairy, when the fairy spoke up again, a little flustered.

"Hey! Answer me! Where ya going?"

Sakuya didn't even look at the fairy as she spoke.

"None of your business, little fairy. I suggest you go home."

_Even if we wanted to tell you, we couldn't tell you. We're just following the Cherry Blossoms after all; trying to find out where they're coming from._

"Come on, Kyon. Pay no attention to this idiot."

_Is antagonizing people really the best course of action, Sakuya?_

Anger rose in the fairy's eyes, as she grit her teeth.

"Idiot? _ Idiot? _You're a rude one, aren'tcha? How about someone teach you some manners?"

The fairy reached behind her, and pulled out a card. My eyes widened. _Is that a damn spell card?!_

"Hey, Sakuya-"

"Don't worry. Stay with me."

"Eye will prove to you that Eye am the strongest opponent you will face today! You will know that Cirno is powerful!"

[SPELL CARD: ICE SIGN "ICICLE FALL ~ EASY"]

_Oh man it is one. _A barrage of icicles appeared behind her in a puff of smoke - they looked razor sharp. My heartbeat increased, for obvious reasons. For some reason, we stopped. Sakuya turned to the fairy, Cirno.

"_Sakuya?_"

_Why did we stop?!_

"Stay with me, Kyon!"

The edges of those icicles gleamed in the morning light. We were too close to the fairy, way too close! _Oh great. Start the day by getting impaled by icicles?! I knew I should have stayed in bed this morning!_

"_Eat this!_"

The icicles flew to the sides, turned in midair, and came right at us...well, right behind us. My initial fear gave way to being stupefied.

They were tearing up the trees behind us - the whole area - and freezing some of them, but were missing us. There was nothing between us and the ice fairy was firing, and missing, with her icicles. Cirno's eyes widened as Sakuya was pulling out a knife and started to walk towards her, the fairy stammering.

"Ah...yeah...um...do-over?"

_I take it not everyone is very good with danmaku._

Cirno started to move backwards, until she hit a tree. The danmaku disappeared as Sakuya kept on walking towards the fairy, knife in hand. Cirno stood there, back to the tree, until Sakuya was right there. I called out to the maid.

"Sakuya, you're not going to kill her, are you?"

Sakuya's right arm snapped back as if she was going to stab the fairy, and thrust forward. Cirno screamed. A bright light appeared for a brief instant in between them.

"_Sakuya!_"

The screams from Cirno and I must have shocked several birds, as now several crows were sent cawing into the air in response, as if it was some dramatic moment in a TV show. As the flapping and cawing died down, I could hear Cirno whimpering. A little bit of smoke was coming from between them. Sakuya bent down to her ear.

"Tag."

The maid then backed away from the crying ice fairy, who fell to her knees. Thankfully, there was no blood. I sighed in relief, and anger. Did she really have to do that?

"What the hell was that about?"

Sakuya just smiled at me as she started to put back her knife.

"I tagged her at close range with my knife danmaku. I won this 'battle'."

The fairy was holding her stomach, trembling. _Yeah I feel for you, fairy. Danmaku hurts. _Sakuya scoffed at the sight.

"Okay, let's go Kyon. Us standing around isn't going to end winter any quicker."

Cirno looked up.

"You're trying to end winter? You can't!"

Sakuya turned around raising an eyebrow.

"Oh? You know something?"

"All Eye know is that as long as spring isn't here, winter will remain! You can't take away the best season of all from me! Eye won't allo-"

A real knife flew by her head and stuck into the tree. Cirno squealed, and flew off crying. _Wow. That was a bit harsh._

"You! You big meanies! Eye'll get you back!"

Letting out an amused chuckle, Sakuya went to get the knife out of the tree. She then bent down to where the fairy was, and picked up a spell card.

"Here, have this. I have no use for this idiot's card."

She threw it to me. It was a blue card, cold to the touch, with sloppy writing on the back of it.

"Uhm, how would I go about using it?"

"Well, using a spell card is simple. You just hold it up, and say the incantation on the back of the card. See?"

She showed me, and thankfully it was in Japanese. I absent mindedly put it in one of my pockets.

"Well since you aren't really a magic user, it may not work. There's a chance though, due to your 'blessing', it could."

"It could?"

"Mmmm, possibly. Just a theory Lady Patchouli put together. You might be strong enough to use spell cards soon enough. She even theorized that if you gain enough cherry blossoms, you might gain the ability to fly. Though the chances for that are very low. Again, it's just a 'what if' theory. Personally I don't think it would happen."

That piqued my interest. The ability to fly. That was one of my dreams as a kid. Hell, considering that I could become invincible, wasn't I living another one of my dreams? When I think about it, Gensokyo was beyond awesome, if you didn't mind every other thing wanting to eat or fight you. Beautiful scenery, fresh air, water, a simple life. A person could get used to something like this.

Sadly, I would never gain the ability to fly, but I'm getting ahead of myself here.

Sakuya took a cup of coffee from the thermos. I guess I still looked angry with her for her whole display with the fairy (which I kind of was), because she let out a sigh.

"Ahhhhh, killing the small fry is so pointless."

_I'd rather you don't go around killing things in front of me, thank you, unless necessary._

After she finished her cup, she stretched.

"I wish the one pulling the strings would show up already..."

"Pulling strings. What fun!"

We turned to see a woman in a blue and white dress floating above us like a ghost. I was startled to see her, as I was still not used to seeing people fly in here. Her lavender curls flapped in the breeze as she stared down at the maid with fittingly cold eyes. I noticed in the sunlight a glimmering silver trident pinned over her heart. She adjusted her white cap as she smiled at Sakuya. But when she saw me, her rather inhuman lavender eyes showed a flash of confusion before narrowing. She didn't say anything, though.

Sakuya drew out her knives, an amused smile on her face.

"Ahh, so you're the one? Well then, without delay!"

The woman lightheartedly raised one hand, as if feigning surprise.

"No, wait! I'm the mastermind, but I'm normal."

_Normal? You're flying in the air lady! Aaaaand Sakuya just floated upwards to meet her. _

I sighed. I guess I was the abnormal one. _Is this the world Koizumi envisioned should Haruhi ever learn the existence of the paranormal? Chances are, should it happen, I'll be the only one left without any powers._

"Mastermind or normal doesn't matter in such a place. Don't you think this situation isn't normal to begin with?"

The woman laughed at Sakuya's statement before responding.

"Well, the snow crystals are larger than in past years. Six times larger."

"Well, that's true."

Snow was gathering around this woman, twirling around her. Sakuya smiled, and her body tensed up. She was getting ready.

_Is it going to be this easy? Pretty much the mastermind comes up to us and says, "Yeah I'm the mastermind, what's up?"_

I could only hope it was this easy. The mystery woman smirked at Sakuya.

"Though I will say this. On top of that, there's a freaky flying maid coming towards me."

Sakuya grinned, narrowing her eyes in amusement.

"Yeah, that too. After all, you're the mastermind."

The woman in white smiled, twirling in the air, her arm extended. Green and blue objects (ice?) were shooting out of her hand. This was on.

Knife danmaku appeared in front of Sakuya, and she threw them, which the mystery woman dodged. It was like some sort of air dance for Sakuya - knives would appear in mid-air, flying at her target, or just hang there, which she would physically throw when she got to them. As for the mystery lady, she kept twirling, throwing ice around her, then stopped. The falling snow then gathered into her and created a mist. The mist solidified, broke up, and came right after Sakuya. The maid dropped altitude to avoid it, and kept up her knife throwing.

_Wow. Just wow._

[SPELL CARD: COLD SIGN "COLD SNAP"]

The woman backed up, holding the spell card she just used. A symbol surrounded her, and more cold mist came out of her body, obscuring some of the danmaku. A stream of ice came out of her hand, broke up into smaller pieces, and flew at Sakuya. Several of Sakuya's knives were frozen when making contact, but still she kept at it. There had to be dozens upon dozens of these things flying at my maid companion! Yet she simply kept her cool, no pun intended, and was weaving in and out of the shots.

Eventually the spell card wore off, and a copy of it fell to the ground. Upset and grimacing, the woman twirled her finger in the air, and three sheets of ice started to spin around her body. Not only did they do that, but they chipped off, sending ice shards towards their target.

It didn't last long. Sakuya's blades were breaking through, beginning to graze the woman's clothing, tearing it up here and there.

To tell the truth, I was awestruck at this display in front of me. I couldn't believe what I was seeing! It was an actual magical battle between two people flying in the air! _This whole battle is amazing!_

[SPELL CARD: WINTER SIGN "FLOWER WITHER AWAY"]

Gritting her teeth, the woman backed up again, using another spell card. Now there were five sheets of ice, bending, circling around her in the shape of a flower. They, too, were breaking off, sending a massive amount of chunks at the maid. Sakuya simply dodged, and was readying a single real knife. Maybe she saw a weak point of some sort?

She threw it. It went right between the sheets perfectly, and struck the woman in the leg. She cried out in pain as her spell card died out. She quickly pulled out the knife, glared at Sakuya and I, and flew off.

Sakuya just hovered there with her arms crossed, annoyed.

"That was pitiful. I'm gonna find the next 'mastermind', then. Maybe someone who can actually get me to use a spell card. What a waste of time."

She then came back down. I was still breathless as to what I witnessed, my heart beating fast. She smiled at me.

"Sakuya...that was...that was-"

"That, Kyon, was a danmaku battle. Not a very good one, but still a better one than that fairy put up. And again, it seems you're easily amused."

_It was my first time seeing something like that. Give me a break._

"Amazing that you feel so proud about what you did."

Another voice, and we looked up again. A teenage girl, wearing a red and white shrine maiden's outfit with a red neckerchief, with a red bow with a pony tail in her shoulder-cut black hair, stared down at us from the top of a tree with her red eyes. She also had two red and white hair tubes which ran down the sides of her face. One of the weird things about her outfit is that she had detached white sleeves that started just above her elbow. Yeah, she had a scarf, but it boggled my mind why her shoulders were exposed to the cold with such an outfit. She tapped a gohei on her bare shoulder as she gazed directly at Sakuya. The shrine maiden was beautiful, but the steel gaze she had kind of unsettled me. It was hard to describe how it really affected me other than it just put me off. Sakuya chuckled.

"Ah, the Red-White."

_Red-White? You mean-_

The shrine maiden, the miko.

"I have a name, maid. It's Reimu Hakurei. And you think you accomplished something by defeating that Yuki-onna? She held back."

_Yuki-onna? That was a snow ghost? What other fantasy creatures are around here?_

"I know she did, Red-White. And I have a name too. It's Sakuya Izayoi."

"No, that's not your name. That's the name given to you by your vampire master. Where is your real identity?"

Sakuya lowered her head a bit. _Is there something I'm not getting here?_

"This _is_ my identity, little miko."

"Hmph. ...how are the ribs?"

Sakuya's fists clenched, but she managed to control herself.

"_Fine. Just fine_."

_Yikes. Easy to see that these two don't get along._

"I see. Well now, who is this?"

Reimu was gesturing to me. I told her my name, though again, I said that my friends called me "Kyon". Why did I bring that stupid nickname with me into Gensokyo?

"Okay, Kyon...what are you doing with the vampire's little dog?"

_Are you __**trying**__ to make Sakuya angry?_

Sakuya tensed up, reaching into her pockets for knives. I put my hand on her shoulder, not wanting to be an accomplice to a homicide.

"Hey, Sakuya, don-"

Electricity. Flowing through my body. A red aura. Another cherry blossom must have activated the barrier...and it was surrounding Sakuya as well? _What is this?_

"_What-what is that_?"

The miko's eyes widened as she saw us glowing. A slow smile crept on Sakuya's face as she glanced at the aura surrounding her.

"Hey, Red-White. How about a quick battle?"

I instantly realized what she was going to do. _Was she insane? Good Lord, I am going to be an accomplice in a homicide!_

"Why? You're possibly tired after that harrowing-_hey_!"

Sakuya instantly was in front of Reimu, knives drawn again. The miko reacted quickly, throwing a yin yang orb at Sakuya. I wanted to rip out my hair in frustration at the maid.

"_No! Sakuya! Don't!_"

It just bounced off. The red barrier surrounding Sakuya disappeared. Reimu's eyes widened.

"_What?_"

Sakuya thrust forward, aiming for the miko's side. I didn't want to look.

But Reimu wasn't there anymore. She had quickly spun around the maid, kneeing Sakuya in the ribs, making a sickening _thwock_. The maid pretty much collapsed with a yelp, holding her midsection and falling to the forest floor. I ran to catch her.

Thing was, I was in my teens, and she was in her twenties. I didn't have the body strength to catch her. I shouldn't have, that was, if I didn't have the barrier up. I actually caught her just fine, making me grateful for my "blessings". For once, being associated with Haruhi had paid off, especially since I was then holding a maid in my arms. She groaned through her teeth as she held her ribs, but the red aura surrounding me reached into her body again. She sighed in relief. Jumping out of my arms, she put her hands on her ribs, and breathed slowly. A smile came to her face when she apparently didn't feel pain.

_Oh wow. I can heal people with this._

You know, for such a big reveal, at the time I really took it in stride. I mean, I could heal people, and protect people by collecting cherry blossoms. Then again, I had witnessed a magical battle between two flying people in a hidden land that was having an unnatural winter. Maybe at that point it wasn't too big a deal for me, the barrier.

"Ah, that's so much better."

"Okay, somebody better tell me what the hell is going on here! What the hell was that?"

The miko was then right next to us, her eyes narrowed, sizing me up. I heard Sakuya chuckle as Reimu again spoke.

"That wasn't a spell card. Whatever that was, it was different. What's your master playing here, maid?"

I had enough of this.

"Hey! Stop! Both of you! Stop! Now, I don't know what your problems are, but is killing each other really the answer here?"

"She was going to kill me. I let her off light."

_I think you could have broken her ribs, miko! _I couldn't help but shake my head. _What is everyone's problem?_

"Look, miko, what are you looking for?"

She crossed her arms, apparently annoyed that she had to explain herself.

"Isn't it obvious? Winter hasn't ended. And it's my job to find out what's causing incidents around Gensokyo. This season going on for a month encore certainly qualifies as an incident! And I know someone's behind all this. My intuition is hardly ever wrong. It's as if someone has stolen spring."

"That's what we're trying to solve, too."

"Yes, solve by having that dog of the vampire attacking me without reason, and picking on that idiot ice fairy. What makes you think _you_ can figure out what's going on?"

_You're very bull-headed, aren't you?_ I didn't ask her that.

"Okay, first off, you were egging Sakuya on! Second-"

Sakuya lightly pushed me aside, so she could speak directly to the miko.

"Kyon, Kyon...it's okay. You see those cherry blossoms? You see those, Red-White? Spring is somewhere around Gensokyo. Otherwise those cherry blossoms wouldn't be here. They are attracted to this boy, and we're going to find out who has stolen spring."

"So you think it's been stolen, too."

"I know it is. We're running out of supplies at the mansion, and we're losing servants to the storm. This needs to stop."

Reimu raised an eyebrow at the both of us.

"So, follow the blossoms, find spring. Sounds easy enough. Okay, Kyon, was it? I don't normally bring someone who can't even defend themselves with me when I resolve incidents, but a beacon and a healer would be useful. Just stay out of the way - I don't want a human death on my hands."

_Uh, thanks, I guess._

"And I guess the maid can come too."

I brought the palm of my hand to my face. _This day is not going to run smoothly, is it?_

* * *

The fox woman watched as they tried to fight, but the maid and the maiden were now talking over the situation. She was worried that they would have killed each other, but it appeared that they didn't wish to go that far, which was a relief. The story would have been over before it had gotten well under way. She had allowed the maiden to chase her from the shrine, and managed to lose her right before reaching the maid and the boy.

The woman wasn't looking forward to the next part. She knew what was planned, and didn't like it. Her own servant?

She couldn't worry about that. She had to follow orders. Though, it wouldn't be as hard as she thought. The witch was already following the maid and the boy from afar since the mansion. She was now looking at said witch, who was watching the three with binoculars. The woman wondered if the witch spotted her as well.

Now all she had to do was watch her own servant take on one of them. Would the nekomata be ready? She wouldn't know what was about to happen...

* * *

A fairy with the green hair flew around, looking for Cirno, her blue dress flapping a bit in the cold wind, her golden wings glimmered. She didn't want to check near the human village, but she might as well. Cirno wasn't at home or her usual hangout spots, so she thought it best to get rid of the non-obvious places first.

A bit before the village, she saw a youkai, one of Cirno's friends in a small clearing. She flew in closer, trying to see who it was. Short, teal hair, blue eyes, white shirt, a black cape, and blue baggy pants. Antennae on her head. What was her name? She kept forgetting - Wriggle? Yeah, Wriggle Nightbug, the firefly youkai, the one who could control all the bugs. What was she doing out in the winter?

Well, she might have known where Cirno went, at least. But what in the world was she doing?

The fairy landed.

"Hey Wriggle!"

The youkai glanced at her from her kneeling position, shivering, her skin a bit red from the cold. Wriggle was next to the body of a human who had frozen and she was taking the coat.

"Oh, Daiyousei. Ca-can you help me? My f-fingers are kind of frozen stiff."

She did, and Wriggle wrapped the coat around her, shaking as she sat on a fallen log. Daiyousei shrugged at the frozen body of the human. Nothing anyone could do for the poor guy now.

"Wriggle, what's the matter? Why are you out?"

"My tree hou-house caved in from all the s-snow. I got nothing left."

Daiyousei sat down next to Wriggle, holding her.

"_What_? Wriggle, you're okay, right?"

"Yeah, managed to get out. Right bef-before dawn. Heard a creaking, woke me up, ran, and b-boom. Collapse. Least I got my cape. Been wa-wandering since then. Got kinda lost in sn-snow storm until it let up, found my way right here. Lucky he had a c-coat."

She looked at the ground.

"I can sense them. The bugs. Hi-hibernating. I envy them, though at th-the same time, I don't. So many ha-have been frozen. They won-won't wake again."

"Your house is built _into_ a tree. How in the world did it collapse?"

The youkai kept shaking.

"Tree's kin-kinda dead. Been meaning to m-move anyways. The snow just was to-too much."

"Wriggle, you're freezing. We need to get you warm."

Daiyousei thought for a minute while holding onto the youkai. Poor Wriggle. Bugs didn't hold up well under the cold, which actually made her friendship with Cirno a bit weird. Cirno's mere presence brought down the temperature, yet the bug and ice fairy were friends. Friends...

"What about Mysti and her stand?"

Wriggle shot her a look, seemingly annoyed by that.

"W-what, me seek help from a b-bird youkai?"

"The two of you are friends, and I don't know why you still have a problem with her. She can help you right about now."

Still teeth chattering, Wriggle shook defiantly shook her head.

"She-she's still a bird. I-"

"You're being childish, Wriggle. Besides, you know that youkai don't eat each other."

"It's ju-just an unspoken agreement. Nothing se-set in stone."

Daiyousei grabbed Wriggle by the chin, bringing the firefly youkai eye-to-eye with her.

"Wriggle, look at me. You're freezing. Now's not the time for your pride as a bug. Come on, let's go."

She held on to Wriggle as she led her to the general direction of Mysti's stand. Mystia Lorelei, nightsparrow youkai, another one of Cirno's circle of friends. Interesting bunch, actually, the three non-fairy friends Cirno had; they were the little youkai of shadows Rumia, the firefly youkai Wriggle, and the nightsparrow youkai Mystia.

Mysti owned a grilled lamprey stand a ways from the human village. She was a good enough cook to have repeat customers, even human ones, but she got most of her customers in the first place due to her scam. Mysti's power, besides songs that cause confusion, was to cause night-blindness. And there was an old wives' tale of lamprey curing night-blindness. She would find a mark in the middle of the night, cause them to lose their sight, and guide them to her stand. Then, as they ate, she would reduce the blindness, crediting it to the lamprey. She would often boast this to her friends, though never in front of her human customers.

But one of the major advantages of having a grilled lamprey stand was just that - it had a grill, a source of heat. And it shouldn't be too far. Though, Daiyousei still had to ask Wriggle something.

"Hey, did you see Cirno by any chance? I've been looking for her all morning when she didn't show up for breakfast."

The firefly nodded.

"You just mi-missed her. C-called out to her...voice not so s-strong, so I couldn't be heard. She was heading around the vil-village. She flew by me ag-again with a lot of fairies behind her. Dunno where she w-went, and I don't t-think they were chasing her."

Daiyousei's brow furrowed. Fairies? Cirno had no fairy friends near the human village. Yet she got a lot to follow her? What was going on?

* * *

-begin-

Subject [NAME REDACTED] "KYON" found.

[DATA CORRUPTED]

Unable to take steps at this time.

Subject [DATA CORRUPTED] GENSOKYO [DATA CORRUPTED] HARUHI SUZUMIYA.

[DATA CORRUPTED]

-end-

* * *

**And there we have Cirno. One of my favorite characters.**

**Remember, kids. Team 9-Ball never gives up, and neither should you! Who makes up Team 9? Cirno, Rumia, Wriggle, and Mystia. And sometimes Daiyousei. Team 9-Ball is kind of a joke "class" of low-level characters in the Touhou series. As for why "9"? Well, in one of the instruction manuals for one of the Touhou games, we had a HUD explanation. You should know how it goes, numbers on a screen shot, and underneath, those numbers tell you what's what. It went from one to eight in this particular manual. Then, on the next page, another screen shot, this time with Cirno there, numbered 9. What was "9" called down there on the list?**

**"Baka." Idiot. And that's why if you ever see anything related to Cirno by the fans, you will usually see the number 9.**

**Anyways, Reimu Hakurei. Reimu is pretty much the main character of the series, and came up with the game of Danmaku. That being said, she's quite good at it.**

**What's a gohei? Laymens terms, it's a ceremonial "exorcism" cane used by Japanese priests and priestesses. Reimu has been known to use it as a weapon in the series.**


	5. ICB Episode 5 Charm

**I want to thank my readers for reaching 1,000 views. Never thought this story would be getting this much attention.**

******The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is owned by Nagaru Tanigawa. Touhou Project is owned by ZUN and Team Shanghai Alice. I own neither. This is a fan fiction of those works.**

**Beta Readers for this Episode(Alphabetical Order):**

**Serendipital**

**Sky Rider**

**superstarultra**

* * *

The cat girl stared down at her master's master with a bit of curiosity. She wondered why anyone would sleep during the day and only come out at night, especially during the winter. It was cold, after all, with the shorter days. It was best to soak up the sun's warmth as much as one could, well, in the cat girl's eyes anyway.

She walked around the house, looking for something to do. Her own master was out, busy doing something, something important. Possibly something fun. The girl was bored, already done with the chores given to her, and it was barely mid-day. She already had some trout for lunch, so she was just killing time, having to wait until...something.

_Something. Need something to do._

She wondered if this was what was called "Cabin Fever".

Ever since she became a nekomata, the cat girl had been exploring the things around her with greater ease in her human form. It wasn't that she couldn't go back to her cat form, but she found it more interesting to be human. And she was always learning - her master kept teaching her, kept making sure she would grow as an individual. She could still remember when she was finally able to speak, it was a big surprise for herself.

Eventually, she found herself in the entryway. Her master told her not to go out, but...it was just so darn boring inside. Though, if she does go out there, and get challenged...no, wait. Nobody ever wandered over there. Only the unlucky, or the ones who heard rumors of this place...they'd have to climb a tall mountain to get up here. Though compared to Youkai mountain, near the lake and the mansion of that vampire, it was just a hill. However, the empty village below...

She grabbed her spell cards from her room. She'd been practicing, and been able to prove herself to be very quick. She smiled. She actually hoped someone would challenge her so she could overwhelm them with her sheer speed.

She heard her master talk of trying times, of a large threat on the horizon, and the girl had secretly been training harder, making herself even faster, hoping to be of some use should anything happen...But if something didn't happen, an hour or so of playing in whatever warm sun there was, was a very good prospect. She knew, however, that the weather wasn't normal. She vaguely remembered the winter season being shorter when she was a normal cat. That, and didn't her master's master talk about it earlier?

Ah well, not her concern. She did all her chores, and it was time to go out there and have some fun!

* * *

******Imperfect Cherry Blossom**

**Episode 5**

**["Charm"]**

* * *

**=Black Cat in the Village of Spirits=**

_**"It wavered in the village in which people are not.**_

_**'MAYOHIGA', village of apparitions, has always refused humans."**_

**-Touhou 7, Perfect Cherry Blossom - Stage 2**

* * *

We kept walking, not wanting to lose daylight. Sakuya spent most of the time explaining, in a short version, what was going on with me. Reimu would occasionally ask us questions about one point or another, until it appeared she was satisfied.

Reimu took the explanation of Haruhi pretty well, all things considered. Then again, this shrine maiden lives in a place where supernatural things happen all the time, so I suppose such things are somewhat normal for her. She deals with vampires, youkai, magicians, and time-stopping maids after all. And that's just what I know about her. Reimu nodded a bit after hearing Sakuya's explanation, turning to me.

"So you need to get home. And that vampire promised you she could get you there?"

Before I could say anything, Sakuya interjected, "Milady said she would see what she could do for the boy."

"Well, I don't know how she plans to open up the Hakurei border."

Reimu said that so casually, like I would know about that. So of course I had to respond. "The Hakurei border? What's that?"

_I mean, come on. You do know that I'm not from around here, right?_ It's kind of annoying when they talk of things I have no knowledge about.

Reimu smiled.

"The border my family has maintained to keep Gensokyo hidden. We Hakurei help keep everything in, and keep everything out of here."

_Maintainers of this closed space, if it is indeed one?_ I didn't ask her that.

"Occasionally the border falters," said Reimu, "and objects and people come in here. Though mostly, if people come in here, it's because of the cooking teams."

"Cooking teams?" Sakuya narrowed her eyes, confused. "How do you know-"

"Heh. Thought you'd know as well. This winter has made quite a few beings desperate. One tried to attack me, spouting things such as the 'cooking teams not bringing back enough', and I managed to question it before disposal."

_Should I ask what the cooking teams are?_

"Red-White, he doesn't need to know about this."

"Oh, you're wrong, maid. He does."

I had the feeling I was not going to like the explanation. Reimu stopped and turned to me. Her matter-of-fact tone and mannerisms had begun to unnerve me a bit.

"Kyon, do you want to know why youkai are so troublesome? One of the reasons why I battle them is? Their diet. Oh, sure, they can eat normal food, but do you wanna know what their delicacy is?"

"He already knows that youkai eat humans," said Sakuya. "He was attacked by the one who controls the darkness when he came into Gensokyo."

"Really? The little blonde girl?" Reimu turned back to me after listening to the maid. "And you survived? Not bad, Kyon, especially since you can't engage in Danmaku. Facing her in a match however is easy enough."

_So I did things the hard way, right? Figures._ She stood there, mulling over something.

"Ah, yes. The cooking teams. You see Kyon, there _are_ humans in here, but they are strong. Not everyone can engage in Danmaku, but they have their ways of countering the youkai, and the youkai have gotten quite lazy. They prefer easy meals, which means that they send teams out of Gensokyo into your world. Cooking teams."

She stepped up to me, with a knowing smile, but it wasn't a smile of enjoyment. It was kind of hard to read what it exactly was.

"The homeless? The runaways? The people who seem to just disappear without a trace? They get 'spirited away' by the cooking teams, and brought here to be meals."

I couldn't help but blink a few times. _Is she kidding me? How many people a year..._I guess she saw my surprise, because her smile widened.

"Red-White-"

Before Sakuya could say whatever it was she wanted to say, Reimu turned to her, an accusatory finger pointing at the maid.

"And I know for a fact that _your_ master deals with those cooking teams as well, maid. She does need her blood after all."

I couldn't help but stare at the maid for a bit. _She's a part of that?_

The miko glanced at me with a raised eyebrow and a small look of disgust.

"I hope you haven't tried any of the cakes or desserts that Remilia eats. Because those 'red fillings' aren't strawberries."

_Oh my God._

At that point, I regretted wanting some the previous night. I mean, it looked so good when Remilia ate it, the fluffy whipped cream, the strawberry, and the red filling looked so...good...oh man. _I'm glad I stuck with my stone cold meal. Otherwise I would have had someone's blood for dessert!_

Reimu motioned to Sakuya. "Why don't you ask the maid what the special ingredient is? I bet you'd love to hear it."

_No I wouldn't._

Sakuya's head lowered a bit, her jaw clenching.

"...My...Milady has special tastes and needs. I do need to accommodate them. I don't apologize for that."

Satisfied with our reactions, Reimu turned away and continued to walk towards where the cherry blossoms were coming from. I felt my blood drain from my face as I stared at the maid.

"Sakuya, is this true?"

"...As I said, I make no apologies for it."

_Well, she is a servant of a vampire...but...does she actually prepare those meals or...Do I really want to know?_

"And what about for my blood in a wine bottle? Do you make apologies for that? I'd say that I'd like to know if you had a hand in filling that, but part of me doesn't even want to know. And what about the tea? It was colored red!"

"Those are just the flowers I use to flavor and color the tea. The ones we ran out of."

_Well that's a relief. I rather enjoyed the tea._

"And the wine bottle?"

Sakuya looked down again, not answering. I swallowed hard, a sick knot tying into my stomach. I thought...well, what did I think? She _does_ works for a vampire. A vampire who was blunt about drinking my blood. I decided not to press the issue if she was the one who put my blood in that bottle. _I think I'll file it under "things I'd rather not know"._

However, if Remilia fed on me directly, then there was something I needed to know.

"So...how does one turn into a vampire then?"

"Simple. A vampire drains you completely."

"Huh. I always thought it was due to a single bite. So a vampire has to drink all of your blood in one sitting then?"

Would be pretty cool to be a vampire, I suppose, but I doubt I could live my normal life if I were one. Haruhi would be impressed for sure, and quite possibly Asahina, too, if it didn't scare her. I mean, don't girls like vampires? However, I don't know how Nagato would react. As for Koizumi, well, I don't care. He'd probably give me some thirty-minute lecture or something on how to deal with it.

Ugh. Just for that alone, it wouldn't be worth it.

"Yes, but you wouldn't have to worry about that at all. Milady has a light appetite. She rarely turns people, if at all - I've never personally seen her turn anyone, but she only takes a bit. Not enough to kill nor enough to turn."

Well that's a new one on me then, and one thing I should be grateful for, I guess. I mean, it's nothing major right? Just that someone filled a bottle of wine with my blood like some vintage _what the hell._

The entirety of the situation came down on me at that point. Remilia had my blood on tap, and had it in a wine bottle for her drinking pleasure. People are brought into Gensokyo to be meals. And the memory of the little girl youkai was still fresh in my mind. _I want to go home! Someone get me out of this crazy place! _It took me a while to keep myself from screaming!

Reimu called back to us as I was having a mental fit. "This place is indeed beautiful, but it's also dangerous, harsh, insane, and cold. Now let's do something about that last part."

* * *

The fox woman still didn't like it. Leading them to her home with the cherry blossoms. They were still attracted to the boy, but they had to go that way, as foretold. Thing is, if they directly followed, they would have skipped the next part. Her master made it so that the blossoms were being directed elsewhere from the time they dealt with the Yuki-Onna, until past midday, and the woman was leading them, trickling from the large pouch she had. She'd run out soon, but they'd make it, and face off against her cat girl servant. The nekomata servant couldn't win, sadly, not at her skill level.

Soon...soon she could stop leading them, and allow them to continue following the blossoms, getting to the real goal. The woman just felt that the whole charade was a stupid waste of time. Ah, well, couldn't disobey orders. Stay out of sight, make sure they survive...

The fox woman noticed her servant was outside. The woman would have to be careful not to be seen by both parties there...three, if one counted the witch following from a distance...

...Wait, there's four - four...

_Five? Who were these two new ones?!_

* * *

Sakuya had remained quiet as we continued to walk. It wasn't long until we came across what appeared to be an empty village. There was a huge red gate in front, and a couple of houses. It just felt weird to be there. It's difficult to describe...As if I felt disoriented just by being near this place. It's where the blossoms were leading us, so we had no choice. Reimu stopped.

"Feel that?"

Reimu extended her arm and gohei in front of us, keeping us from continuing. Sakuya's eyes narrowed as she stared out at the village.

"What? You mean that weird feeling?"

"Yes. A little bit of confusion, disorientation. I think I've heard of this place."

_The S.O.S. Brigade club room? _ I would have liked to say that, but I didn't. She took a few steps forward.

"Mayohiga."

_Good Lord. Mayohiga actually exists?_

"Mayohiga? Like that folktale?"

I stared out at it, the simple village. It was actually quite small. Could this actually exist? But in the folktale, it's supposed to be just a house in another world...another world. I shook my head. Gensokyo was quite amazing, making such things real. So what was next, Atlantis or something? Reimu nodded to what I said.

"This village is on the edge of the Hakurei border. It's actually pretty weak at this point. This could be the area where the cooking teams make their entrances or exits, or another point where people from the outside world wander through."

She rolled the gohei in between her fingertips as she chewed on her lower lip.

"If I could increase the power of the barrier here, I could starve off the youkai, except they would go after the human village. Hmmmmm."

Sakuya slowly shook her head.

"And you call Milady a monster."

_Stop fighting. I'm almost at my limit of sanity here, and I don't want you two fighitng._

"Girls, please."

Reimu stroked her chin, appearing to have a lightbulb go off in her head.

"Isn't it said that if you take something home from Mayohiga, you'll have great luck?"

I furrowed my brow, thinking back to when I heard of Mayohiga when I was a kid. How did it go? _"The Mysterious Mansion, 'Mayohiga.' Inside are various utensils and livestock. It is said that everyone who has taken one home was always soon after blessed with great happiness." _At least, I think that's how it went.

"I...I think so. Been a while since I've heard the tale, but yeah. That should be the case."

Reimu grinned, her eyes not on us, but on the village.

"Well now. Looks like I'll just have to help myself here."

_Gensokyo is just one giant version of Haruhi!_ Sakuya's eyes widened.

"You're not actually going to steal from here, are you?"

"Well, it depends if it really _is_ Mayohiga," Reimu said rather unapologetically. "I'll need confirmation. But it could be just folklore. And besides," Reimu turned to Sakuya. "If it's true, why don't you take home a trinket for your master? I'm sure she'd appreciate it."

As much as I wanted to berate Reimu for thinking like that, part of me considered it. I mean, who doesn't want good luck? I could fnd a nice trinket for myself, carry it with me, and see what happened.

Besides, I needed all the luck I could get when dealing with Haruhi.

"_Eye found you!_"

We whipped around, recognizing that voice. I couldn't help but bring my palm to my face.

Cirno was back.

"Ah! And Eye found the miko as well! Today just got better! Eye told ya Eye'd get you back someday, Miko!"

Scoffing, Sakuya stepped forward.

"What's the matter, small fry? I thou-"

"_That's the matter! You don't take us fairies seriously! But Eye'll prove ya wrong!_" Cirno then smirked at us. "Or actually, my friends'll prove ya wrong!"

They came from behind the trees. Fairies. Dozens...if not hundreds, of them. I couldn't help but take a few steps back as they seemed to block out the sun. Reimu let out a little sigh, but it didn't match that steel gaze that had come back.

"Oh boy. Little Ice Fairy, you sure you want to be responsible for all of them getting hurt?"

_All of them getting hurt? They clearly outnumber us!_

Cirno clenched her fists and her teeth, barely containing her rage.

"_Eye'll show you the power of Fairies! Eye'll show you you can't push us around! Eye'll show you all!_"

She pointed at us.

"_Get them!_"

They dove right at us, firing damnaku. The sky filled with the different colors of light from all the fairies. It was pretty impressive, except that these were a lot of enemies, and I was scared as hell. Reimu and Sakuya calmly stepped forward, looking up at the incoming barrage. They both reached for a spell card.

[SPELL CARD: DREAM SIGN "EVIL SEALING CIRCLE"]

A red barrier, different from mine, extended from Reimu, dissipating the danmaku fired by the fairies, and pretty much annihilating the ones that made contact with it.

"_What! That's cheating! Eye won't stand for-_"

[SPELL CARD: ILLUSION SIGN "KILLING DOLL"]

A barrage of knives appeared behind Sakuya, spinning. The maid made sweeping motions with her arms, and with each one, waves of knives were flung. They then honed in on the other fairies that weren't affected by Reimu's spell card. And that was that. These two...this maid and this miko just wiped out an army of angry fairies, with almost no effort.

Out of nowhere, a second wave appeared, coming right for us. We all tensed-

[SPELL CARD: ILLUSION GOD "DESCENT OF IZUNA GONGEN"]

From behind us, the direction of the cherry blossoms, a massive amount of danmaku in various shapes, sizes, and colors went right for this new wave. I was stunned. It literally filled the sky, the patterns dense, and the colors of the magical shots bathed us in light. It was like some light show.

"Who-?"

We turned, seeing nobody. But one by one, the fairies fell, hitting trees, bushes, or snow piles. The war cry made by the fairies a few seconds ago was replaced by whimpering and crying.

All the fairies went down, save for one. Cirno hovered there in the air, her shoulders slumped in defeat. Her lip was quivering, and she was obviously on the verge of tears. She was shaking her head at what just happened, that we got help from somebody.

"You...Eye...this isn't..._this isn't right! It's not fair!_"

_What's not fair is that you got a whole army to go against us._ Sakuya brought out a single real knife, twirling it in her hands. She gave the fairy a smirk.

"So, you ready for round two, little fairy?"

Cirno's eyes widened, and then flew off again, crying. Reimu shook her head, as she watched the retreating fairy.

"I got to give her credit. That little ice fairy doesn't give up. Then again, it's possible she's too stupid to know _when_ to give up. But she doesn't give up, nonetheless."

My eyes wandered to a fairy lying in the snow, who held her head.

"Reimu, should we help those fairies?"

I turned to the miko as I said that, noticing that the intense look on her face was gone.

"Hmm? Nah, they'll be fine. Fairies are a lot tougher than they look even if they're defeated easily. But what I wanna know is...who helped us right now?"

The maid sheathed her knife as she spoke. "Whoever it was is strong. The density of their patterns look as if they could overwhelm Milady's."

We stared toward the village. Someone in there was very powerful, it seemed, even impressing these two.

* * *

We walked into the village - the cherry blossoms were leading us there anyways. At the far end, there was a mountain, with an intimidating staircase that had to reach all the way to the top. I hoped that wasn't our destination. You'd think that with all of my trips up to North High, I'd be up to it, but I just didn't feel like doing that again.

"Well, Kyon, you can't fly, though..."

Reimu had her hand on my shoulder as another bunch of blossoms came in, activating the barrier. It surrounded her as well. She took a step back, looking herself over, eyes widening a bit. The miko was slightly amazed at this, and didn't finish what she was going to say.

"Hmmm. Interesting," the miko said. "Very powerful, very...very holy. This definitely didn't come from the vampire."

"We told you that already, Red-White!"

Reimu ignored Sakuya snapping at her.

"...And it heals too? But...I'm not cold anymore." Reimu rubbed her bare shoulders. "I mean, the parts of my body that were getting cold aren't cold."

I stopped, wanting to slap myself in the head. _Why didn't I notice this before? No wonder the cold isn't bothering me for too long! _

"It resets the body heat. Restores a bit of body fatigue." Reimu appeared a bit fascinated with the barrier, and it showed in her voice. "Heals, and gives a small recharge in energy. Very interesting indeed. That barrier is beyond useful, it seems. This 'God' of yours, Kyon, is quite useful. I'll have to learn her name someday."

_About time she's useful in a way that I see immediate benefits, actually. _ Sakuya was taking notes, which caused Reimu to cross her arms.

"And just what are you doing, maid?"

"Lady Patchouli asked me to record anything about the barrier for her research."

Reimu smirked as she tilted her head.

"Ah, the vampire wants to recreate it, and challenge me with an invincible barrier, right?"

Sakuya looked up, as she tried not to show annoyance, but she did. Reimu's smirk widened.

"The look on your face tells me I'm right."

The miko smiled and continued her walk. I had to give her credit. She knew Remilia right on the button. And I guessed Reimu and Remilia had a deeper rivalry than I had thought.

"Okay, if this isn't Mayohiga, then what village is this?" The miko looked around, scratching her head. "Why so empty? Why so out in the wilderness?"

She paused a bit before resuming. I suppose Meiling was right when she said that no humans have mapped out Gensokyo.

"Why are there houses in a place like this?"

"Hey, don't ask me," I said. "I'm not even from here, remember?"

"This is the end for you!"

A cat girl with brown eyes and short brown hair, wearing a red and pink dress with gold trimming and a green cap, stood on the roof of one of the buildings. The sunlight shone off of a single gold earring she had on her left cat ear. Her two tails swayed behind her.

She was adorable. No, beyond adorable.

Reimu scratched her head with her gohei as she floated up to roof level to meet with her.

"Huh? End?"

"A nekomata," Sakuya whispered to me. "I never thought I'd ever see one."

_A nekomata. A two-tailed cat youkai. An actual nekomata. And I thought Shamisen talking was weird. But there's an actual nekomata right here!_ And I couldn't get over how adorable she was!

The cat girl tried to be intimidating, but her childish side took over. She immediately lost her initial aggressive stance.

"Well, anyways, welcome to Mayohiga."

I had thought Asahina was the best at melting your heart, but the cat girl easily took that title!

The miko's eyebrows rose, looking somewhat amused.

"So, the end of what?"

The cat girl shook her head, as if she was shaking herself out of her non-aggressiveness. She then pointed directly at Reimu with one of her long red fingernails.

"The end of wanderers like you! You can't leave once you wander in!"

"Is that so? By the way, I hear that Mayohiga's items give you good fortune if you take them home..."

"Yeah, that's true."

Reimu smiled as she looked back at us. _ I can't believe she's still thinking about that!_

"Then let the plundering begin!"

_This place __**has**__ to be a product of Haruhi! I know it!_ It took the cat girl a while to process this.

"Uh...what?"

Upon realizing that Reimu's intentions were to take something from there, the cat girl's two tails extended straight, her teeth clenching. She was ready for a fight. Even when she was angry she was cute!

"This is _our_ home! Get out of here now!"

"So what happened to 'You can't leave once you wander in'?"

_Sakuya and Reimu like to antagonize, don't they?_

In response, the cat girl swarmed danmaku all around her, hiding behind a layer of it, before sending it spinning towards Reimu. The miko just floated there, merely sidestepping (side-floatstepping? Ah, never mind. That's not even a word!) when it got too close to her. She didn't even fire anything at the cat. Again, that steel gaze had come back. _Is that her battle face?_

The cat girl started to do somersaults in the air, and fast moving danmaku went right at Reimu, who had to dodge. The cat was quickly gaining speed in her attacks. Reimu finally started to attack with paper amulets and needles, and threw out two ying yang orbs that floated alongside her. They fired amulets as well when she attacked. The amulets appeared to be homing attacks, as they tracked the cat, yet, because the little girl was moving too quickly, they were instead colliding with each other. Reimu did a double take when that happened.

[SPELL CARD: SHIKIGAMI SIGN "PENTAGRAM FLIGHT"]

A circle surrounded the cat girl, who immediately started to do more somersaults in the air. She was quicker than one could blink their eye! She formed a pattern of a star within the circle, leaving an explosion of danmaku at each star's point, which rained down towards their target.

"Wow, little girl," Reimu shouted as she twirled and twisted her body in the air to avoid the girls' attacks. "You're fast!"

"I have a name! It's Chen Yakumo! Don't you forget it!"

The second time the girl, Chen, made a star, she made a sudden move, and the danmaku changed direction in mid-flight. Reimu almost flew smack dab into one, escaping it by knocking it away with her gohei at the last second. Sakuya gasped.

"That cat's so quick!"

The spell card depleted Chen then caused another explosion of danmaku, this time homing in on Reimu. Reimu threw even more amulets at her, but to no avail. Chen then landed on the roof, pouncing at her target with her nails. Reimu barely managed to dodge, but Chen ripped through one of Reimu's sleeves. Chen got back up into the air, and prepared to fire another volley. Reimu glanced at her torn sleeve, grit her teeth and brought out a spell card.

"You're gonna pay for that one, cat!"

[SPELL CARD: SPIRIT SIGN "FANTASY SEAL ~ CONCENTRATE"]

Reimu extended her arms, an aura of light forming around her body. A flurry of bright, colorful energy balls emitted from around Reimu, going right for Chen, homing in on their target. Chen out-ran them, literally. She dropped out of flight to the rooftops, and was bounding from roof to roof with, well, catlike speed and agility, Reimu's danmaku colliding with the roofs instead of their intended target.

"_What,"_ Sakuya gasped. "I've _never_ seen anybody completely dodge that! That attack took us all down!"

As soon as Reimu's attack was over (and Reimu blatantly surprised that her spell card failed to hit her target), Chen got back up in the air and used another spell card. It was just so crazy how fast that cat was!

[SPELL CARD: HEAVEN SIGN "IMMORTAL SAGE'S RUMBLING"]

Chen started to do even more somersaults, this time all over the village. Reimu had a hard time just keeping Chen in her sight; the nekomata was obviously giving her something to worry about. The cat girl left a trail of slow moving danmaku that floated above Reimu - eventually. It covered the whole sky over the village.

_Ah yeah, that's intimidating._

Reimu turned to us, her eyes wide.

"_Get under cover_," she shouted._ "Now!_"

Chen stopped, snapped her fingers, and each danmaku split in two, gravity taking over for them. Sakuya grabbed my hand and we ran towards a porch. We weren't going to make-

The gray world again. _Thank you, Sakuya!_ I glanced up, everything had stopped, and I couldn't help but smile. _This is so cool._

We got under cover, and the world went back to full color. Reimu descended and flew near the ground, narrowly avoiding the shots, and hitting the ones she wouldn't be able to avoid with the gohei. It looked like she was dodging rain, which she pretty much was.

I doubt I could ever "play" Danmaku. Besides, it reminded me too much of those "bullet-hell" video games. I hate those.

A few more cherry blossoms had flown in, and when Reimu saw my barrier activate, she quickly came up to me, and made contact, getting the barrier going for her.

Which was good, because she got hit a few seconds later. However, it got her directly under Chen, who had to stop to snap her fingers for another rain-down. The miko fired another one of her amulets.

[SPELL CARD: WIZARD SIGN "INCARNATE IMMORTAL SAGE"]

The last amulet grazed the girl, tearing her dress on one side, so Chen held up that spell card. Hissing like a kitten, she went into yet another somersault barrage, this time making dense peanut-shaped patterns of danmaku, and flinging them at Reimu. The miko simply used another card as she flew straight up at Chen.

[SPELL CARD: SPIRIT SIGN "FANTASY SEAL ~ SPREAD"]

That card sent out a bunch of danmaku in different, random directions. I guess Chen panicked a bit when she saw Reimu use it spell card (it initially looked exactly like the other spell card Reimu used beforehand), because she moved quickly out from in front of the miko...right into the path of one of the random danmaku. It was a direct hit.

Chen yowled as she collapsed onto the roof, and into a pile of snow next to the building, Reimu just watching. A small smirk crept on the miko's face.

"I guess that's it... Better go loot some stuff now."

_Reimu, you'd make an excellent stooge of Haruhi, with that attitude. Also, you're not a nice person, are you?_

Sakuya and I went over to the cat girl, who slowly climbed out of the snow, and shook it off of her. She held her head as Reimu came down to her, tapping her gohei on her shoulder, smiling in victory.

"Amazing speed, little Nekomata. But you need some discipline. Now, if you'll excuse me."

And with that, Reimu walked off to a house across the street. Chen just hung her head and closed her eyes.

"You okay?"

Chen looked up at me, her face red.

"No...no, I lost. I guess I'm not strong enough for Danmaku yet."

Sakuya approached the cat, and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, don't get too worried about it. Took _me_ some getting used to when I got beat by her."

"Oh? And what was that back in the forest?"

Sakuya gave me a quick nasty look before she turned back to Chen. _Hey, you were the one who tried to attack her with that unfair advantage._

"But your speed is incredible. You made Red-White use up two spell cards in such a short time. I couldn't even do that."

Her hand went from Chen's shoulder to her head, where Sakuya was scratching her under the cap.

Chen began to purr.

My heart melted again. I just wanted to shout "CHEEEEEEEEN!" and hug her. Although...wouldn't that make me a weirdo?

* * *

Chen left soon after, and we then joined Reimu in the house. At least the door wasn't forced open.

"Uhm, should we be barging in," I asked. "Breaking and entering?"

Sakuya had taken this opportunity to use my lighter to start a fire in a stove and prepare our lunch in the kitchen of the house, as it was a bit past mid-day. She spoke as she prepared.

"Didn't stop you from doing so to that...who was it?" Sakuya paused, thinking. "The computer, you called it? Yeah, the computer club president? His place?"

"Well, at that time we were being ordered around by a bossy..."

Reimu raised an eyebrow at me, with a "I just fought in a battle, but I can still go" look. _Yeah, this girl would wipe the floor with me and make it look easy. Hell, I know both of them would._

"...Yeah I'm not going to finish that sentence."

It was Sakuya's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"You said Milady reminds you of that girl you just called 'bossy'."

Ah hell. I gritted my teeth as Reimu just smiled at me. All I could do was shrug at the maid. _Well, isn't Remilia bossy?_

Of course, I had to be careful with offending these two. They were pretty ruthless in battle. I'd hate to be on the receiving end of their ire.

Reimu went back to searching. There was plenty of stuff, but I guess she was looking for something really special. Exploring around the small house and its few rooms, I found it to be empty. It had all the usual comforts of a simple home, I suppose, though it had vast amounts of trinkets here and there. I studied a little obsidian nekomata figure, before asking Reimu what just popped in my mind.

"Hey, where are all the people here?"

Reimu studied at a trinket and put it back down before picking up another one.

"Well, if this _is_ a staging area for the cooking teams to exit and enter Gensokyo, then I'd assume that everyone who lived here is long since steak well-done." The miko paused as she stared out a window. "Of course, this is an alluring place. As I said before, the border is weak out there. If people do wander in through here, their first instinct would be to stay in one of the houses. Then the cooking teams come, and they already have a human in their trap, no hassle. This place is actually perfect for them."

"So uh, should we be worried about these teams? Because I wouldn't want to meet them."

_Under no circumstances would I ever want to meet them._

"Mmm, from what I understand, they only work at night under cover of darkness once a month. Maid?"

"...Why are you asking me?"

Reimu smirked.

"...Thought you might know. With who you serve and all."

Sakuya sighed as she prepared the tea. With all their clashes going on, I had to make sure something didn't happen, should Sakuya get mad enough.

"Hey, Sakuya, if you're going to poison a cup, make sure it's not mine."

She actually let out a chuckle.

"She's still an ally to my mistress. So I wouldn't."

_But weren't you about to stab her back in the forest?_

At the end of that thought, I heard Reimu talking to herself, musing over the trinkets.

"No...not this one...maybe...no..."

I moved next to her, to see what she was going over.

"So, uh, why are you so intent on finding a good luck charm?"

"Well, it's not for me, per se. I just want to do anything I can to increase donations to my shrine. And if a little luck brings them in, then I'll take all I can get."

Reimu studied a unicorn-looking thing, before putting it back. Sakuya called out to the miko.

"What, Red-White, incident resolving not paying the bills?"

"It actually doesn't. Nobody comes up to me and offers me big bucks to rid an area of youkai. Well, not often enough anyways. Although removing minor curses does provide a small income. Usually though I just resolve incidents, and people out of pure appreciation donate to keep me going, because they don't like youkai."

She turned, crossed her arms, and glared at Sakuya, her attitude going from reflective to aggressive.

"Which is why I don't appreciate it when you and your mistress arrive at my shrine unannounced, maid. I _know_ for sure you two scared away a few of my contributors. And I don't even want to think about what they said back at the village. 'Hakurei hangs out with youkai!' That would be very bad for my donation box."

Done with that little rant, the miko sighed, closing her eyes, leaning against a wall.

"I mean, the whole reason why my ancestors came out here was to quell the youkai, not become friends with them...it's my bloodline. It's expected of me to do this - resolve any incidents they cause."

I crossed my arms, getting a bit annoyed with her. Yeah, she's talking of duty, but stealing?

"Is stealing from youkai part of that expectation?"

She opened her eyes and had that unapologetic smile again.

"Well, this is different."

_Haruhi-logic right there. The more time I spend in this place, the more and more I am certain it is a product of Haruhi._

Sakuya looked up at me as she started to pour the tea, her brow furrowing.

"Hey, did the door just open?"

I was going to ask why she asked that, but I had felt a sudden drop in temperature. We all went to the entryway.

Sakuya couldn't help but sigh, and neither could I. It was that stupid ice fairy. She stood there, her hands balled up into fists, obviously pissed off.

"Eye am gonna get payback now! You don't play fair, _Eye_ won't play fair!"

_Why won't she go away?_ Reimu cracked her knuckles, getting ready.

"We don't have time to play with you, fairy!"

The two of them readied a barrage, and fired as Cirno used a spell card.

[SPELL CARD: PERFECT FREEZE]

"_Eye am the strongest!_"

The temperature in the house dropped even lower, frost forming on every surface. The danmaku that Sakuya and Reimu fired at the fairy instantly froze, fell, and shattered on the ground.

"_What the-!_"

_I cry foul again!_

All three of us were knocked back by ice fired by the fairy. And man, did it hurt. These were chunks of ice coming at us, the size of baseballs. Cirno just didn't stop. She kept firing it at us as we were knocked back into the wall. It was surrounding us, encasing us in real ice. We were unable to move, and just kept getting hit. Every time I tried to struggle, a chunk would hit my body, adding to my current prison.

The fairy was going to kill us, freeze us to death!

"_Eye got you! Eye got you all! Eye told you Eye'd get you all back! Nobody is stronger than me!_"

The crazed look in her eyes told the tale. Cirno had completely lost it, and we were at her mercy.

[SPELL CARD: ILLUSION SIGN "KILLING DOLL"]

Again, knives appeared around Sakuya, aimed at the fairy, but they were quickly frozen and shattered.

"..._No_!"

"Sakuya! Reimu! Please," I shouted. "Do...something!"

"I...can't...!"

Reimu tried to speak, but the ice then covered her face. _Oh, God, we're going to die here! We're going to-_

The ice had completely covered me, encasing me against the wall. I could only hear my own heartbeat, unable to breathe. Cirno started to laugh loudly, but it was muffled in my prison. My life had started to flash before my eyes there! And wouldn't you know it, I got to the part where Asakura froze me in place.

I thought I saw the door open. Cirno turned around, raising her arms to attack, but-

[SPELL CARD: LOVE SIGN "MASTER SPARK"]

A bright light had appeared where Cirno was, and when it was gone, so was the fairy. A figure wearing a black hat and a black dress stepped into the room. It looked like a witch. Upon truly seeing us, it ran to me, and I could see her more clearly through my ice prison.

It was a teenage girl, about the same age as Reimu and I. Long blonde hair, golden eyes, with a braid down one side of her face. It was a witch's hat she was wearing, black, and a purple bow on it. She was sporting a white petticoat and a black dress. "Witch" clearly defined how this pretty girl dressed.

She knocked on my ice encasement for a bit, shrugged, and simply yanked it off the wall, throwing me to the ground where it shattered. It hurt, but I was free enough to breathe again. She did the same to Reimu and Sakuya.

The girl, who had to be the Black-White Sakuya was talking about, stood over us with her hands on her hips. Reimu looked up and was greeted.

"Yo, Reimu," the witch said. "Seems like I can't leave you alone on an incident, can I, ze?"

"Mah...Marisa! What are you doing here?"

"Oh, you know how it is. Bored at home, ze. Go up in the air, fly around, follow Sakuya and this boy from a distance to somewhere fun."

She said that as she started to break up the ice surrounding the maid. Yeah, we were free from being suffocated, but we were still stuck in the chunks of ice.

"You've been following us?" asked Sakuya.

"Yeah, winter is fun and all, but two extra months of it? I'm getting tired of starting snowball fights and making snowmen, ze! That, and most mushrooms don't grow in the winter. So imagine my wonder when I saw some cherry blossoms stuck to the windows of the Scarlet Devil mansion!"

_What's with her saying "ze" every now and then?_ Sakuya dusted the ice off of herself after being helped up by Marisa.

"You were there to steal more of Lady Patchouli's books again, weren't you?"

"Oh, please, I'm just borrowing them - when I die, you can just collect them all back, ze! But anyways, I figure that I should follow those things, because where there are cherry blossoms, there is spring! I also managed to get a few of them a few days ago, and do a few experiments. They have some sort of power, but I lack the means of extracting the magic from them."

Marisa turned to me as she was breaking the ice surrounding Reimu. I was still a little unsure of this person. I mean, who goes around stealing things and states "you'll get them back when I die"? Still, she did just save our lives, so I'll give her that. The witch nodded at me.

"And by watching what happens to you, it seems you don't have any problems doing just that!"

Sakuya was breaking the ice around me as she turned to the witch.

"But Lady Remilia said that they were just ordinary cherry blossoms."

"Sorry, Sakuya, with all due respect to the vampiress, she doesn't know magic like I do, ze. And if Patchy there couldn't figure them out, then I'm afraid the Scarlet Devil Mansion's scientists are way behind. It's kinda like magic, but not really. Very difficult to describe because I don't know what's exactly behind it."

Reimu smiled as she was helped up by Marisa.

"Then again, they don't have to worry about blowing up that mansion. You just do all of your experiments out in the wild where it won't hurt anyone."

_Wait, she blows things up?_

Marisa graced us with a toothy grin, a sparkle shining in her eye. She looked like she was a wild, mischievous girl. At least, that's what the smile told me. Reminded me of Tsuryua's, in a way.

"Yep, that's one of the best things about being able to have no restraints!"

She helped me up. I was face to face with this girl. Unlike Reimu, who was obviously full-Japanese, Marisa appeared to have a mix about her. I stared into those golden eyes, a bit mesmerized by the witch. Not at all what you'd think a traditional witch would be like, according to the stories you'd read as a kid. But I guess it depends on who's telling the story and their take on witches in general, doesn't it? But wow, was she a pretty girl.

"Those cherry blossoms are indeed attracted to you. I will give Remilia credit, ze. She knows how to use her resources. If we simply get you to be the beacon, we can follow the cherry blossoms right to their source, bring spring back to Gensokyo and finally end this winter!"

A groan came from the wall opposite the door Marisa came through. Sakuya immediately brought out one of her silver knives, _her_ eyes becoming intense.

_Ah that's right. The fairy._

Cirno was crying, whimpering, and shaking on the floor against the wall, most of her skin bright red. Steam was coming from her body, her clothes all charred, hair and ribbon singed. The wall right above her was burned to a crisp, part of it on fire, the silhouette of the fairy was the only remaining normal part of the wall.

_Damn. The witch really messed her up._

The four of us gathered over her, that fairy who had murderous intentions, and stared down at the pitiful body. Cirno looked up at us with tear-filled eyes. All she could do was let out another whimper. Sakuya took a deep breath.

"I know killing small fries is pointless," the maid said as she twirled a knife in her hand. "...But this one just keeps getting in the way."

Cirno's eyes teared up even more, and she began to sob. She wasn't shaking from the pain anymore, but out of fear. _I know she tried to kill us just now, but looking at this child-like person, __it was heart wrenching. Yet she did try to kill us. But she looks so...innocent now_. I nervously shifted.

"What should we do with her?"

Marisa knelt down to the fairy.

"Hey. Hey, fairy. You know you broke the rules of Danmaku. You tried to kill a human. Breaking the rules is a serious offense, ze. Reimu is obliged to do you in right here, but maybe we can do a little trade."

Cirno's mouth quivered.

"...w...what...tra...ade?"

"Well, how about you lend us your spell cards? That way, you can't attack anymore. We'll just hang on to them until we bring spring back, ze. And we'll just leave you alone."

Cirno's eyes lowered, before closing.

"...f...fine."

And she just laid there, shaking, as Marisa looted the spell cards from Cirno. Marisa stood up smiling.

"Whelp, I'm hungry! It's time for lunch!"

"Don't tell me we're going to eat the fairy."

Marisa gave me a weird look as I turned to Reimu who was still dusting off the ice.

"So...good luck charm, huh?"

The nasty look she gave didn't faze me.

* * *

She got Chen back home, and after seeing what almost happened, the fox woman was cursing herself. She should have been watching over them, and the fairy went in there and tried to kill all of them. Thankfully the witch saved them. But she should have been there, not concerned with her defeated servant.

But the fairy, she was different. Altered, more powerful. Something about that fairy...but the alteration was gone. Weird. As if the spell card wiped it away.

It was unexpected, but it worked for her.

Ah well, since she was close enough to home, she'd grab some lunch herself before continuing her vigilance, hoping she wouldn't have to use another spell card to defend them. After this was over, she would have to have a talk with Chen about her battle. Her servant was actually more developed than she thought, her speed matching that of a tengu.

She'd have to be careful from there on out. The fox woman noticed that someone else was following them all. The fourth party was the fairy. The fifth...

Speaking of tengus...that's not who was following them, right?

* * *

The nightsparrow youkai, wearing her white and brown dress along with her work apron, stretched her wings a bit, and put her cap back on after smoothing over her short pink hair and washing her hands. Wriggle sat there shivering, right next to the grill.

"Don't get any funny ideas, Mysti."

"As if. You know youkai don't eat other youkai. And besides, fireflies are too bitter for my tastes anyway. Even when grilled."

Wriggle slowly turned her head towards her, her expression a mixture of anger and disgust.

"This is why I have a problem with you. I can't tell if you're joking about stuff like that or not!"

Mystia smirked.

"Well, I wouldn't eat you. I'm actually not joking, you see. You fireflies taste terrible."

Wriggle shook her head in pure disgust. Daiyousei dropped Wriggle off, saying that the bug's house was destroyed, and that Wriggle needed to stay warm. Daiyousei then took off, telling Wriggle she'd just wait for Cirno to come home. Mystia didn't know what was going on, but Wriggle was quite frosted coming in.

Now, Mystia didn't have any problem with the firefly, nor would she ever eat her. Even if she wanted to, she wouldn't - there was Gensokyo's policy for no youkai cannibalism. It was just that the nightsparrow couldn't help reminding Wriggle that Mystia was higher up in the food chain.

And it was true, after all...fireflies didn't taste good.

"Wriggle, normally I'd ask you to get ready to get out of my stand on a moment's notice."

"And why is that?"

"Well, I do have to run a business here. And my human customers won't like to see a bug right next to the grill, especially a youkai one. I don't have anything against you, it's just that I got a stand to run. Just saying, you know? Girl's gotta make a living."

Wriggle rolled her eyes, her voice dripping in sarcasm.

"Yeah, thanks, Mysti."

Mystia sighed, looking outside the stand again, a little peeved with the whole combined situation. Either way, up or down the path, there was clearly no one coming. She got some of the Lamprey she was making for lunch off the grill and skewered them for her and her companion.

"Look, Wriggle, I'm sorry, alright? It's just this damn winter. Nobody wants to come down this path anymore, cause they're too afraid the storm'll pick up out of nowhere again, which is obviously affecting my business. I don't know what the hell is wrong with spring not coming back."

"Heh, maybe someone should wake up Lilly White," Wriggle chuckled. "And tell her she overslept."

Mystia raised an eyebrow at Wriggle as she handed her lunch.

"That children's tale? That spring fairy doesn't exist."

"I saw her last year."

Mystia scoffed at that.

"Bull. The very idea that a single fairy can change a season is just stupid. Sure I've seen fairies bring a little life to the area they're in just with their presence, but to end winter?"

"I'm telling you, Mysti, I saw her. She came around where I lived, and the snow started to melt right away. The cherry blossoms bloomed almost instantly. Most amazing thing I've ever seen since becoming a youkai. And she made it warm, which is why I loved the whole thing."

Wriggle took a bite out of her lamprey, and slowly chewed, looking into the flames of the grill.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Mystia asked. "Got any place to stay?"

"I dunno."

"Wriggle, drop the tough-girl act. You lost your home, and you need a place to crash. You're staying with me."

Wriggle looked as if she was going to say something, but instead thought better of it.

"Fine. But only until spring comes."

The firefly youkai continued to sit there, looking at the fire, not saying anything else. The nightsparrow sighed, knowing that Wriggle's pride was quite large. Mystia took a bite out of her lunch as she stared out into the falling snow, hoping that the winter would end so business could pick back up. She couldn't even bring in new customers during the night, as people no longer wanted to chance the snowstorms in the dark. And frankly, she didn't want to risk it either.

"Seriously, Mysti," Wriggle said. "You haven't noticed that in Gensokyo it's winter one minute and spring the next? You've been here longer than me, and I can't believe you haven't noticed that."

Mystia's eyes narrowed, trying to remember last year, and the years before that. It _was_ that way, wasn't it? She never paid it too much attention.

Though if it's that way, what does it mean then?

Does Lilly White exist? Is there an actual fairy that can control the beginning of a season? Is that what this is all about? A mere fairy?

* * *

-begin-

Attempting to take steps to ensure Subject [NAME REDACTED] "KYON" lives.

Please hold.

-end-

* * *

-update-

Unable to.

-end-

* * *

**CHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEN!**

**That's kind of a meme that Touhou fans have - yet it's a touchy one. Some love that meme, others hate it. **

**Man, I love Chen's music.**

**In my opinion, Embodiment of Scarlet Devil is the best game of the series, but Perfect Cherry Blossom has the best music, and as you'll see, well...you'll see about the story surrounding it. **

**What is a nekomata? When a cat goes past the age of 10, again, with the Japanese belief that if something lives a long time, it can gain power, well, the concept of a nekomata is of a cat pretty much doing that. The cat gets a second tail, and becomes a nekomata, developing magic powers such as necromancy and shamanism. They also can shape shift into humans.**


	6. ICB Episode 6 Puppet

**I'll be going with a "Fanon" version for Sakuya in this. Her true origins are really unknown, so I'm letting you know that this isn't how she officially is. It's just a fan theory, a heavily favored fan theory. As was the fan theory of Meiling's origin I used. **

**We the fans have some degree of control. Hell, we named Koakuma, and ZUN, the creator, accepted it, made it official. She was just a nameless mid-boss, and we gave her a name.**

**We gave her a purpose.**

**We get to make Gensokyo ours, our own version of it. As much as we would like to make things as canonical as possible...well, considering that the fanon outweighs the canon, that may just be the only thing impossible in this realm of the possible. As put forth by another fan:**

_**"...this place called Gensokyo always provides room for choice to everyone. We all share several major incidents that create the basis of this world. And you can fill the gaps with your own pieces of stories. It's that kind of game. Truths behind the major incidents, daily lives of ordinary people, surprising connections between the characters, and even their body shapes and the color of their [drawers]... There are as many Gensokyo's as people dare to fantasize. You can accept somebody else's Gensokyo or even create your own. Treat what you want to believe as your own truths about Gensokyo."**_

**-The Rabbit Demon of mischief and Luck, Tewi Inaba, from the doujin ****"Why did she leave the miniature garden? Onis out!"**** by Maruchira.**

**Remember! Read and review!**

**********The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is owned by Nagaru Tanigawa. Touhou Project is owned by ZUN and Team Shanghai Alice. I own neither. This is a fan fiction of those works.**

**Beta Readers for this Episode(Alphabetical Order):**

**Serendipital**

**Sky Rider**

**superstarultra**

* * *

Cirno stumbled out of the house after waking up, hurting all over. When she came into contact with the cold, she felt her skin start to soothe and heal. She found a nice snow pile and fell in, allowing herself to just feel the coolness reach the core of her body. As she laid there, she had time to think. First off, she had been out a while. The sun was starting to set at that point. Second...she lost. Not only did she lose a fight, she also lost her cards.

Those...idiots. They took her spell cards. She couldn't do a damn thing to stop them, to get back at them. The one she liked, the Yuki-Onna, had asked her to track them down and...

...What happened? She touched Cirno's shoulder, and all this rage appeared from nowhere. Cirno has been slighted before, but for rage that bad? She managed to get most of the fairies - not just the ones she talked to, but most of the fairies she could find - and got them to attack those three. It was weird. She was able to talk to them, and they followed her like no one else had. But they failed. She ran away, only to still be angry.

_What did Eye do in there?_

She actually _was_ about to kill them. She propped herself up, a little confused. Killing people? Beating people up was fine, but killing? That's a job for proper youkai - fairies don't really go around killing things.

Well, she would accidentally kill frogs when she froze them for practice, but that was all in the name of SCIENCE...well, to see how far her freezing could go. And it paid off, as she had just developed the Perfect Freeze, her pride and joy, able to freeze any and all enemy danmaku, real magical attacks, and even fire itself. Freezing fire itself - Cirno was really proud of that one. It was a purely defensive spell card, but used with offense, it was very effective at taking down stronger-

No, she _is_ the strongest...just without her cards...

She smiled. She reached into her sleeve, pulling out the Perfect Freeze. That witch didn't take it, couldn't find it. Cirno thought about going after them, teaching them a lesson, but she wasn't angry at them anymore. And getting her butt kicked several times in a day wasn't fun.

She got up, feeling a lot better, normal even - her thoughts of revenge all but gone. Maybe she'd go back to the lake, and play another snowball fight with the fairies. Smiling, Cirno thought what fun it would be to use the Perfect Freeze while everyone's snowballs were in the air. She couldn't wait to see the look on everyone's faces, especially Daiyousei's. She was gonna surprise everyone with it.

Oh crap! Daiyousei! Cirno got into the air and flew fast. She had totally forgotten about breakfast!

Hey, maybe that's why she got beaten. She skipped the most important meal of the day, and was just weak. That's right, they only beat her because she came down to their level.

She knew she was going to catch hell from Daiyousei.

* * *

The woman in the light blue kimono stood there, looking up at the massive tree. Things were going according to plan...in a way. All the spring was being collected, the tree showing some signs of life. Yet it wasn't enough. It would bloom sporadically, letting the blossoms shine, only for them to fall off, and drift away, towards somewhere outside of their realm. Those lost spring blossoms couldn't be used again. They had to make do with what they had, but the amount of spring they lost was massive.

She heard a noise from behind her. The woman turned, to see her servant kneeling. Smiling, the woman spoke to her servant.

"Youmu, are your preparations complete?"

The teenage-looking servant who had short silver hair and was dressed in green gave a single nod.

"Almost done, my lady. We can stop the bleeding effect in the next few hours. It may not be enough, however. If we had the spring we've been losing, we'd have it revived by now."

The woman nodded in response. She knew her servant was trying everything she could, and appreciated it.

"It is fine. We can simply gather more. Even if we have to go into the outside world, although I would like to avoid that."

The woman gazed up at another bud blooming, and watched as a couple other blossoms fell off. She sighed. Another bit of spring lost.

"Youmu, I wonder..."

"Yes, my lady?"

"Where are those blossoms going? They always go in the same direction, outside our realm. It is almost as if they are...being directed."

The servant shifted a bit and let out a sigh. The woman raised an eyebrow, as it appeared her servant had something to add.

"Youmu?"

The gardener still did not respond. The woman gave a little sigh. "Youmu, I do realize you have your apprehensions about this, but please," she said. "Tell me."

The gardener licked her lips, and pursed them, before speaking.

"They _are_ being directed, my lady."

The woman's interest piqued. Her gardener knew what was happening?

"Oh?"

"The few spirits we have sent out have come back to report their findings. They found out where the cherry blossoms have drifted. You see...there is a boy from the outside world. _The spring has been gathering in him..."_

* * *

******Imperfect Cherry Blossom**

**Episode 6**

**["Puppet"]**

* * *

**=One Night in the Settlement of Dolls=**

_**"Is it snowing even in this paradise?**_

_**The paradise that is already Alice's playground."**_

**-Touhou 7, Perfect Cherry Blossom - Stage 3**

* * *

It wasn't possible. The blossoms were going all over the place. The master of the fox woman, her ability, her holding back of the blossoms had worn off a while ago, and they were starting to come back, but the four were being led away. What was happening?

* * *

Okay. I have to admit it. Gensokyo was awesome. I was flying.

Well, with Marisa Kirisame.

She was indeed a witch (she doesn't go around cackling like one, thank goodness), as she had a flying broom, which we were sharing at that point. I hung onto her as we were flying above the tree line, following the trail of cherry blossoms. Sakuya and Reimu both were a little relieved that we could go faster than on foot, as they were flying right next to us. The sun was starting to set a bit, and we hadn't made much progress since Mayohiga, other than following the blossoms.

The only thing to note was that a while after we left Mayohiga, three fairies had flown up to us and asked if we were going anywhere fun. Reimu told them to go away, and after a while of following us, they did. Barring that, not much happened.

Marisa finding out about Haruhi and I, and how I fit into the equation of the current incident...well, she just gave a shrug and an "okay". Like the miko, I suppose the witch has seen enough weird things as well to accept such a thing as Haruhi Suzumiya's existence.

I have to say though, the views were spectacular. Gensokyo was the definition of a winter wonderland. We saw a lot of this place, which started to be a problem. A few hours passed, and out of nowhere, Reimu spoke, clearly annoyed.

"This is no good."

"What's no good, ze?"

Forgive me for not being able to explain Marisa's emotions from this point on. It's kind of difficult to see someone's face when you are clinging to their back on a flying broom. And I'm not even going to get how..._uncomfortable_ it is to spend a few hours sitting on a broom, how..._sore_ a certain part of the body gets.

"Look," Reimu said as she grabbed a blossom. "It's on it."

The three of us crowded around her. The blossom flapped a bit, trying to get to me, but I clearly saw something different about it. I had to ask.

"What is that? Frost?"

There was a bit of frost on the cherry blossom. Just enough to be noticeable, but it was there.

"Yeah," Reimu said as she stared up into the sky. "I got a feeling we're being led around."

Marisa's gaze went to our surroundings. We were over a forest.

"You know, I think Reimu's right. This is the Forest of Magic, I think."

Reimu nodded, while Sakuya adjusted her scarf in a huff.

"So?"

_Yeah, need a little context here, Marisa._

"So this is where I started. I _live_ in the Forest of Magic. I just went in a big circle following the cherry blossoms and you guys, ze."

I felt like I got punched in the gut. _We've just spent the past few hours doing nothing then? I'm never going to get out of here! _Reimu tightened her fist around the blossom.

"It's that Yuki-Onna, I know it is. She's making sure we can't find where they're coming from."

She angrily looked at Sakuya, scowling a bit.

"You should have killed her."

"How was I supposed to know she was the one really behind this, _if _she is? You know most of the youkai are mostly talk, like that little ice fairy!"

"Yeah, that little ice fairy that nearly killed us."

_Damn it all, stop it with the fighting!_

"Girls, please! Just stop! How many times am I going to have to ask you to stop fighting? I'm getting sick of this!"

They looked at me, Reimu shaking her head.

"I'm sorry, Kyon. But you just became useless. That ghost knows how to beat that great plan the vampire came up with."

I brought my palm to my forehead, trying not to get into a shouting match with the miko. _Why was she like this?_ She glared at Sakuya again.

"Take him back to your master. He has no business with us anymore. And it's too dangerous anyways." Reimu moved near me, letting her features and voice soften. "Look. Kyon. It's not that I have a problem with you. I just don't want your death on my hands, okay? I can't even believe that vampire is putting you in danger like this. It's so irresponsible of her."

_Maybe so, but I'd like to get out of here._

Sakuya, obviously fed up, shouted at the miko.

"I don't think you understand, Red-White! I'm trying to find out what's causing all this, we both are! Lady Remilia promised to find him a way back out to his home when we complete this task, and I plan to-"

"_How_? How is Remilia going to undo _my_ barrier? What's she going to do? Send him out along with one of the cooking teams?"

_I'd like to avoid that, thank you._

"You act like _we_ control those things," Sakuya shouted. "We don't! We just deal with them!"

"Doesn't give you the excuse for dealing with them. But is she going to do that? Because that's the only way I see that bloodsucker keeping her promise."

*_SLAP_*

Wow, that came out of nowhere. I lowered my eyes, more than a bit uncomfortable with this. And even though Reimu was acting like this, I didn't want to see her slapped.

Reimu's hand went up to her red left cheek. Wide-eyed, she glared at Sakuya more intensely. Sakuya all but shouted at the miko.

"Milady _will_ come through for him! I know you don't really respect her, but Mistress Scarlet gave you _her_ allegiance! And I can't stand here-"

_You're floating in the air, Sakuya._

"-and watch you badmouth her! It sickens me!"

A small smile came across Reimu's face. She appeared unfazed by that rant.

"Big talk for the vampire hunter who fell to her prey."

_Wait, what?_ I couldn't help but stare at the maid. Sakuya's jaw dropped in response to what Reimu said - the maid blinked a few times, a flash of rage showing in her eyes.

"...What...did...you say?"

"Don't think I haven't heard the tales, especially in the human village, about a certain girl tracking down a vampire a few years ago-"

Sakuya's eyes pretty much became daggers, and she reached for hers.

"Shut up."

"-and ended up as the maid of the vampire, the servant, the little dog-"

_Reimu, stop it! Don't do this! Don't fight!_

Sakuya had a hand on the handle of one of her knives, but was struggling to keep her hand steady. She appeared to be close to losing it.

"_Shut up!_"

A corner of Reimu's mouth crept into a small smirk.

"Fine, fine. I'm sure that memory plays in your head daily."

The two stared at each other, Sakuya doing her best to keep her cool while Reimu just stared back at her. _Vampire hunter? Sakuya was a vampire hunter? _

_That's interesting. A vampire hunter who serves a vampire as a maid. So, wait - is that what Sakuya was reluctant to tell me last night? Is that it? She's a mere maid because she lost to Remilia?_

I'd ask her about it, but with the glares the two were giving each other, I decided not to ask anything. I didn't want to be a pincushion for either Reimu's needles or Sakuya's knives, thank you very much. Marisa rubbed the back of her neck, obviously uncomfortable with that situation as well.

"...Whelp. I think I'mma keep going in the direction of the blossoms, ze. You two..."

Marisa glanced back at me, seemingly unsure of what to say to them. _No, I'm not gonna bail you out of this. I'm not getting involved. And besides, you know them better than I do._

"Hey, I don't want to be a part of this conversation. I've seen what these two can do in battle."

Marisa blinked once before turning back.

"...Ah, good point. I'll uh, yeah. Let's just keep going."

* * *

Marisa and I rode on towards the cherry blossoms, the wind beginning to pick up a little, adding even more chill, though the blossoms stopped. Sakuya stated that sometimes that happened that for a few hours, the blossoms wouldn't appear, well, according to Patchouli. I guess that explained why I didn't see any when I was outside with Meiling the day before.

Sakuya followed behind us, flying, Reimu taking the rear. We were silent, but not for long.

Just as well anyways. Tensions were rising between Sakuya and Reimu. Fact is, I don't blame them in a way. If we _were_ being led around, then we'd have a right to be angry. It's just that they were taking it out on each other. I could relate to it, sadly. I always wanted to take out my frustrations on Koizumi after all.

Then again, he deserves my ire most of the time. But that's beside the point.

"Yo! See that, Kyon?"

"What?"

"Over there, ze!"

I looked towards where Marisa pointed. It was a small two-story house.

"Yours?"

"Nope! My house has a lot of junk strewn about the yard!"

"More stuff you 'borrowed', Black-White?" Sakuya coldly asked.

_Why is Sakuya still referring to Marisa as "Black-White" and Reimu as "Red-White"? They have names, Sakuya!_

"You know it!" Marisa turned to the maid and grinned. "But I've never seen that house before! And I've been up and down the Forest of Magic looking for mushrooms, ze! Then again, that was back in the fall!"

The wind was picking up, especially while flying, making it a bit hard to hear, which was why we had to begin shouting. The temperature was also dropping by the minute, and the snow finally began to get heavier, as opposed to the light flurries we had all day. The cold hadn't been bothering me much, but at that point, it was starting to. Good thing I was clinging to Marisa, and feeling her body heat.

Marisa slowed down, turned, and descended to the house as I asked a question that popped into my mind.

"Hey, Marisa, why do they call it the 'Forest of Magic'?"

_I mean, it's a pretty bland name, isn't it?_

"Well, Kyon, it's a double-meaning!" Marisa gave me a toothy grin. "Cute little name the people at the Human Village gave it! The forest is an excellent breeding ground for mushrooms! They're great for potions, spells, and granting some magical power, but the deeper into the forest you go, the more potent and hallucinogenic they get! They gave it the name after a few people came back telling tales of 'magical visions'!"

I just gave her a weird look. Even now, thinking about it, I still don't know what I would have said at that point. She just flashed a smile and winked at me.

"Don't worry though, since it's winter, the spores won't be out! And neither are the mushrooms, which is the problem for me, ze! Winter mushrooms aren't all that great for my needs! But anyways, I thought I was the only person living out here!"

_Oh, great. The person who's driving this crazy broom may be a mushroom addict!_

"Marisa! Look!"

Reimu pointed out towards the house, where a few cherry blossoms could easily be seen drifting down, but not towards me. They were falling to the back of the house.

"Yeah, I saw it! That's why I'm landing!"

"But they're supposed to be attracted to the boy!"

_I have a name, Sakuya! Do you do this because you have a hard time remembering names?_

"I did a few experiments myself, and can attract a few of them with the right symbol, ze! Range is very small, however! This right here is large scale! I haven't gotten it down on how to absorb them though!"

"You've collected them?" I asked.

"Over the past week! Got a whole pouch right here!" Marisa lifted up a pouch she had on her belt, showing it to me. "So should I ever need you to go invincible for one hit, and get us invincible, too, I'll just throw a few into the air!"

I nodded, impressed. This witch came prepared. I wondered why Patchouli didn't give us a pouch of them as well. She had to have had more. I checked my satchel, and found no such thing. I did find some sort of jerky, however, which I ate.

We landed, and I can't say I wasn't a little disappointed that I could no longer hold onto Marisa's warm, soft body. I guess she knew what I was thinking, because she turned and winked.

"Heh. I _know_ you enjoyed that flight! You copped a few feels!"

I stood there trying to regain my composure. Sakuya raised an eyebrow at me.

"No, no! It's not like that! She...just flies," I stammered. "...A little..."

"Crazy, ze? And don't worry. I enjoyed that flight, too."

Marisa chuckled at my ensuing red face. Not only did I have to deal with that awkwardness, I had to hold off on rubbing my sore backside from the broom ride. I wondered if Marisa had any cushions...wait. No. That's just silly. Cushions for a flying broom.

Still, I wished they had cushions. That soreness would take a while to go away.

Reimu looked up to the falling cherry blossoms.

"They've all stopped going for Kyon. Somebody _must_ be collecting them."

Sakuya had approached the house and peered through one of the darkened windows. Finding the door to be locked, she shrugged. She went back to us, and stared up at the cherry blossoms as well.

"It may not be where spring is, but chances are, someone here might know."

"Well, we got nothing else, ze."

As we started to walk towards the back of the house, where the blossoms were falling, I couldn't help but go up to Sakuya.

"I...I know it's not my place here, Sakuya, but...what is with you?"

"Hmmm?"

"You and Reimu."

"That?"

"Yeah. I don't know what's really going on with you two, but-"

Sakuya merely shook her head, her face going back to a mask of unemotion.

"You know, Kyon, you're right. It's not your place. You don't know what you're talking about."

"Maybe so. Maybe so. Except that all I know is that if we complete our task, I get to go home. So, you know what? Forgive me for wanting this to work without any hitches. So she beat you in that Scarlet Mist incident. Big deal. Are you really going to hold a grudge against her for that?"

The maid crossed her arms, clearly annoyed. She sighed.

"Kyon, it's taken me a while to start liking you. Don't mess it up now by asking questions you shouldn't."

I ignored her protest.

"What I do know is that you tried to kill her earlier, and then went about saying that she's an 'ally' to your mistress, and you wouldn't poison her. I'm just trying to figure this out, Sakuya. I'm trying to figure you out, because according to what I know, she had the opportunity to kill you a few times, but instead just broke your ribs. She didn't kill you."

Sakuya chewed on her lower lip a bit, apparently processing this. I continued, because I myself was a bit annoyed with her.

"But maybe you're right. I don't know the full complications you have with her. It's just that to me, to someone from my world, it just seems so ridiculous, and, forgive me for saying so, _stupid._"

Sakuya looked like she wanted to say something, but instead clenched her jaw and looked down. I would have said something else, but we cleared the house and saw what was in the "backyard". That shut me up.

We weren't prepared for what we saw.

A teenage girl, who had to be around the same age as Reimu, Marisa and I. She appeared to be, again, from Europe. _Remilia, Flandre, Patchouli, this girl, and I think that Yuki-Onna. Lot of different nationalities here in Gensokyo. _The girl sat in an open field, surrounded by dancing dolls - there had to be dozens of them. Dolls dancing in a perfect circle, some having their arms in the air, as if calling for something from the sky.

Whatever they were doing, it seemed to be working. Cherry blossoms came down to the girl, whose profile we saw. Her eyes were closed, and her lips were moving, saying something. She was blonde, shoulder-cut hair, with a red hair band and a long-sleeved blue dress. The small, white capelet that covered her shoulders moved slightly in the winter wind. Sakuya pointed and whispered.

"She's controlling the dolls. Look."

With one hand, the mystery girl carried a large black book. With the other, her fingers were flicking here and there. Each finger had what appeared to be a brass ring. Every movement a finger made, the dolls made one in response.

This was creepy, way too creepy for my tastes. I thought the little youkai of shadows was nightmare fuel, but this girl takes that cake.

_Killer doll stories always creeped me out. _Heck, dolls always kind of creeped me out, period. I mean, isn't there a saying that dolls are empty inside, and are always seeking to fill their emptiness?

"She's a puppeteer!" Marisa blurted out. "A magician puppeteer!"

_Dammit, Marisa, why did you have to shout that out!_ The girl opened her eyes. The dolls stopped, and turned to us, but she didn't. Creepy, creepy, creepy!

"Ah, visitors. Welcome. Is this place to your liking?"

The girl's voice was pretty soothing; there was a little bit of elegance to it. Marisa stepped forward, her hands on her hips.

"It seems...comfortable here, ze."

_If you don't mind those dolls! Which I do!_

"Do you also find this brutal evening likable as well?"

The puppeteer asked that as she stood up and turned to us. I did my best to not look at the dolls, as they were still staring at us. I think the scene unnerved Sakuya as well - she had a knife in her hand at the ready as she surveyed the scene, as if she was ready for an attack. Even Reimu appeared weary. Marisa, the only one seemingly not disturbed by this, tilted her head and shrugged.

"It isn't bad."

The girl appeared to size up the witch.

"Surely you are a magician of the untamed fields."

"As opposed to a magician from a greenhouse, ze?"

The girl raised an eyebrow, as did I. _What in the world are they talking about?_

"As opposed to a magician from a city sect."

"Oh? I get it—this is a welcome to the wilderness."

Marisa laughed to herself. It seemed she was enjoying this mindless conversation. I think she was the only one. The girl nodded for a bit before turning to Reimu.

"Long time no see."

_Wait, she knows Reimu?_ Reimu narrowed her eyes in response.

"We've only just met."

"No, that's not what I meant."

"Am I supposed to remember?"

"Don't you remember me? It's me, Alice Margatroid."

After she didn't get a response, the girl, Alice, sighed.

"Well, either way is fine."

Alice stared at Sakuya for a brief moment before turning back to Marisa, and picked back up with her conversation as she got her dolls to start dancing again. _Not gonna lie. Still creepy seeing those things dance._

"Springtime in this rural place is cold and disagreeable."

Marisa crossed her arms and stepped towards the puppeteer, smiling.

"I think not; some power is at work to cause such snowstorms in spring."

Marisa was thinking what I was thinking. This girl had to have something to do with this, or at least know what was going on.

Alice crossed her arms, her unemotional gaze set on Marisa, as if saying "you'll have to beat me to get any information."

_Going to be time for another Danmaku battle, isn't it?_

"It is not my doing, you know." Alice said as her eyes wandered to one of her dancing dolls.

"Is that so? Even so, it seems that you are enjoying the cherry blossoms, ze. I can see the faint red aura around you."

Sure enough, Alice had a faint red aura. A single cherry blossom flew in from above the clouds, and went for her, not me. She watched as it twirled around her, before she absorbed it. She closed her eyes and appeared to be enjoying the sensation.

It actually was rather enjoyable, thinking back on it now. It was indeed a rather warming sensation, a very positive feeling. _Thing is, she's collecting them. She has got to have something to do with all this! _Alice's eyes opened and locked onto mine.

"Well, perhaps I shall partake of your small spring as well?"

_Yikes._ The way she said that unnerved me. Heck, the girl, Alice, unnerved me. There was something about her that just made my skin crawl._ But, what does she mean by that? Whatever. I'm sure one of these girls will take her on while I sit back and enjoy another Danmaku battle. Makes me wish I had some popcorn._

"Sorry, Alice, but he's with me!"

Marisa grabbed me and stuck her broom between my legs..._what the hell? _We started to go up into the air. I didn't even have time to move, as I was stunned at what was happening. Reimu yelled at her friend.

"_Marisa, what the hell are you doing?! It's bad enough you're an adrenaline junkie, but do you have to drag someone else into it as well?!"_

I had to shake myself to finally get my brain working again before I too shouted at the witch.

"ARE YOU NUTS!? _I'm not going to be in a Danmaku battle!_"

"Too late, ze!"

_No, it's not too late! Just let me down!_

"Alice! I know you know something about what's going on! I can smell it on ya! Now, let's duel!"

_Why do pretty girls always ignore me?_

We were well up into the air. The puppeteer floated up, as did her dolls, remaining a few meters below their puppet master. They began a dance again, except they were armed with lances and swords. _When did they get armed?_

"_Marisa! Let me dow-ooooooh crap!_"

Alice began her attack. Six dolls went up to her, and started to do spins in the air, releasing danmaku as they slashed their weapons. My grip on Marisa tightened, but she simply flew a meter to the right to avoid everything. Alice surrounded herself with danmaku, and fired a whole bunch. However, she pulled back half of them, then fired them again, feinting them. Marisa and I did a double juke in the air, as I think Marisa was a bit surprised by that one. I could _feel_ the danmaku _whiff_ by my head not half a meter away.

Marisa let out a laugh as she tossed two orbs into the air, and they started to fly with us, firing lasers and green stars. She also reached into her pocket, and took out some octagonal thing, which fired a laser.

"Now, you see, Kyon, what you wanna do in a Danmaku battle is pour it on your enemy, ze! Don't let them have any room to breathe! End it quick or not at all!"

"_Why are you telling me this? You're insane!_"

Alice quickly dodged the lasers. She rubbed her chin as she watched how Marisa attacked - it seemed that Alice was studying how Marisa moved. She calmly brought out a spell card.

If I wasn't so scared, I'd be angry with the witch. Well, actually I was. _Now I'm gonna have to go through a spell card! Dammit, Marisa!_

[SPELL CARD: BLUE SIGN "BENEVOLENT FRENCH DOLLS"]

The dolls returned to her side, spinning again. They each fired a single slow moving danmaku. Marisa lined up a shot-

And the danmaku exploded into fragments, changing direction. Then those fragments did it a second time, and filled the sky. Alice could not be seen from behind them all.

"This might be a problem! Hold on, Kyon!"

What did she think I was doing?

Marisa dove to the left to an opening. As soon as we somehow managed to clear that wave, I saw the dolls do it again, Alice just calmly staying still among them, the only thing moving was her fingers, controlling the dolls. Marisa took aim, but not at Alice.

A doll exploded when a laser made contact with it, but another one flew up to replace it.

"Ah. Yeah, this is a problem!"

"The problem is that you dragged me into this, you crazy person, you!"

Alice quickly dodged left and right to avoid more of Marisa's lasers. More dolls were destroyed in the sweep, but again, they were replaced in the blink of an eye. Alice glanced at her watch, and raised her hand. The dolls went back down as a copy of the spell card fell to the field. She shot a few danmaku at us (it seemed she did it lightheartedly), and before they reached us, they disappeared. _What?_

[SPELL CARD: SCARLET SIGN "RED-HAIRED DUTCH DOLLS"]

Didn't have time to think about that part, due to the spell card Alice used. Dolls rose up, fired off some danmaku, then went back down below. They kept on popping up around us. We were surrounded. Marisa brought out a spell card in response.

"Okay then!" Marisa shot a grin at me. "Kyon, this might get a bit loud!"

[SPELL CARD: LOVE SIGN "NON-DIRECTIONAL LASER"]

She used the spell card, and a trio of lasers fired from around Marisa and I, making a deafening noise. They made a circular sweep around us, destroying the dolls and dissipating the enemy shots. Alice's eyes widened as she barely managed to fly over one of the wide lasers. It clipped her leg though, and caused her to spin mid-air from the impact. Grabbing it, she clenched her teeth and stared at us. She then moved back to her original position. Danmaku formed around her again, and fired at us in a clockwise pattern, only to go counter-clockwise in the middle of the attack. Marisa's quick turns, flips, and barrel rolls with the broom were making my stomach do much more than jumping jacks, making me shout my head off.

"_Let me off! Let me off! I don't care if I have to jump off this broom! Let me off!_"

Though the reality was that we were still too high up. I didn't want to let go of Marisa.

Alice's danmaku stopped for a while. She floated there, staring at us. Marisa brought up her octagon thing again, but didn't fire. The two just stared at each other for the next minute. I for one was grateful for this lull in the battle. I took the time to regain my composure.

"You know, you're really good, Alice. This is getting my heart pumping and all, ze."

Alice didn't respond to Marisa.

"Hello? You in there?"

Again, no response. Marisa turned to me, an eyebrow raised.

"Man, you meet another exceptional magician, and she won't talk to you, or she won't lend you her books. Do you know that feeling, Kyon?"

I stared dumbfounded at the witch. _Of course I don't know that feeling!_ Marisa shook her head at my lack of an answer.

"Am I the only one with a voice around here?"

Alice blinked a few times, before quickly reaching for another spell card.

[SPELL CARD: DARKNESS SIGN "FOGGY LONDON DOLLS"]

The dolls came up, spinning at an insane speed, and shooting out an even more insane amount of danmaku.

"Ah, Kyon! Hold onto me!"

"_Why is this taking so long, Marisa? What happened to 'end the battle quickly or not at all'?'_"

"Not the time, ze!"

"It's as good a time as any, you crazy witch!"

We spent the next minute or so (felt like an hour) of dodging. It was obvious that Marisa was faster than Reimu or Sakuya in battle, as she seemed to enjoy simply dodging. Alice just kept watching us, her face expressionless.

Marisa reached into her pouch and threw a hand full of cherry blossoms into the air. They went to me, and the familiar barrier surrounded us. Alice's eyes widened.

"That boy...he is the one who Letty cast the spell on!"

Reimu shouted up to Alice.

"_Letty? Who is Letty?_"

Alice didn't respond. And I was too busy holding on to really care about what Alice said. She gritted her teeth as Marisa, with confidence in the barrier, moved up. Alice's eyes narrowed as she brought out a new spell card.

And this one glowed.

Again Reimu shouted up at her friend.

"_Marisa! She's gonna use a Lunatic Card! Watch out!_"

"Well, this just gets better and better, ze!"

"_Lunatic Card? What's a Luna-_"

That was me, before I found out what power a Lunatic spell card had.

Perhaps I should get into it a bit. According to Sakuya's explanation, there are five levels of power in spell cards. Easy, Normal, Hard, Lunatic, and Taboo. The first four were legal, and the Taboo level was barred from use, even though they do get used sometimes. The reasoning is that you could use lower level cards against friends, and higher cards as you see fit for stronger enemies. Spell cards used power, and using too many high level cards drained the user. Lunatic was almost a full power attack, and Taboo's were full power ones.

Up until that point, I had not seen anything above a Normal level card. So there was only one reaction I had when I witnessed a Lunatic card being used.

_[SPELL CARD: CURSE "HANGED HOURAI DOLLS"]_

_Oh my God._

_All _the remaining dolls went up, all firing. There was nowhere to go and Alice disappeared behind it all. We were immediately hit, but it bounced off due to the barrier. We had to move fast, weaving through the waves coming at us. Marisa tossed another handful of blossoms into the air, trying to get another barrier going. The next wave of danmaku hit them instead, frying them.

"Ah, that isn't good. Time for something different!"

"Marisa?"

"Come on...come on..."

Marisa said that and began whispering. She held up her octagon thing.

"_Marisa!_"

We were threading between Alice's shots, and I do mean that. I don't know how Marisa was able to control the broom with one hand and hold her octagon thing with the other all the while finding the small holes in the patterns for us to get through safely. I doubt I could ever have the concentration to do something like this.

"Come on, come on...where are you...?"

For a moment, we could see where Alice was. The danmaku was closing in.

"Gotcha, ze."

[SPELL CARD: LOVE SIGN "MASTER SPARK"]

A massive laser fired from in front of Marisa. The force jolted the broom, but all of Alice's danmaku disappeared. I could see the dolls breaking up into pieces, or flat-out vaporizing. And Alice-

I heard Alice scream.

As soon as the light faded, I saw her. She was still where she was, just kind of hanging in midair, staring at us yet not staring, mouth ajar. Again, like Cirno, she was singed, smoke coming from her body. Then her eyes rolled up and she collapsed, as she fell to the field below, among her broken dolls, with an anti-climactic _plop _into the snow.

Marisa let out a big sigh as she started to descend. She glanced back at me.

"Was it good for you, too?"

My silent stare was greeted by a chuckle.

"You were in good hands the whole time, Kyon. And apparently, I was in yours."

I bit into my lower lip. I mean, it's not like I was complaining about it. It's just that I didn't intend to do that. Then again, with the way she flew, I was lucky I managed to hold on...even if "holding on" meant holding onto...ah forget it.

She winked then turned towards Alice, who was then starting to move. Sakuya was giving Marisa a golf clap while Reimu stood there with her arms crossed and shaking her head. The miko sighed as she showed obvious annoyance.

"Marisa, I wanted to avoid putting him in danger, and you go and do this. What in the world am I going to do with you?"

"Hey, he survived. I think."

I wasn't even going to respond to that. Sakuya and Reimu moved towards Alice, and Marisa let out another sigh as she wiped the sweat from her brow.

"Have winters always been this brutal, ze? Humans usually stay indoors."

"You mustn't..." Alice grunted as she slowly got back up. "...Consider me a normal human."

"Are you a weird human, then, ze?"

With her reliance on dolls, I'd say that's a gimme.

"I'm normal, just not...!"

Her head lowered as she trailed off with that sentence, then set about picking up her broken dolls lying across the field. Marisa downed the broom, and set to help out. I couldn't help but to fall to my knees when I hit land again. I held the snow-covered ground, shaking like a leaf in a hurricane. Flying with Marisa in that Danmaku battle must have taken years off of my life. Alice stood there, confused at Marisa. The witch just grinned back at her.

"Well, I'll help out a fellow magician!"

Did Alice just blush? I couldn't tell in the setting sun. Then again, in my state at that point, I didn't care. Reimu stretched.

"Will this take long?"

Alice motioned to all of the scattered remains of the dolls. Reimu sighed, and glanced over to Sakuya. The maid grimaced a bit, before complying with her red glowing eyes.

"Very well."

The next instant, all the doll parts were stacked near Alice's house. The puppeteer did a double take, before staring at Sakuya.

"Amazing."

_Just don't ask her why she's a mere maid._ Sakuya crossed her arms and stepped towards Alice, the maid's gaze serious.

"Now, Miss Puppeteer. Why don't you tell us about the 'spell' and Kyon?"

Alice turned to me, walked over, and helped me up. Grabbing my chin, she looked at each side of my face. _You know, Alice is actually very cute._

"The cherry blossoms react to you in such a strong way...a way I don't understand."

"Long story short, Miss Puppeteer, he's blessed by a God."

_Yeah, Sakuya has been kind of repeating my story a few times already today._ Frankly, I was getting a bit sick of hearing it over and over. I am still against giving Haruhi that much credit.

Alice glanced at Sakuya, then back at me.

"Mmmm...could explain it."

Alice stood there for a while, still looking me over.

"It was random, you know."

_What?_

"You see, my dolls were dancing to nullify the spell. Turns out the cherry blossoms would have been attracted to anyone in close proximity. I did have a seal to collect them better, but the reality is that any one of us should have been able to absorb those cherry blossoms and their essence."

"But what do you mean random?"

Alice walked back to where she landed, to pick up her grimoire. She dusted the snow off of it before answering me.

"It's that Yuki-Onna. Letty Whiterock. She told me what she did, casting that spell on the boy. Letty...she's taking advantage of someone else doing this. She knew I don't care about the current situation. She gave me instructions on how to nullify the spell, how to collect the cherry blossoms for myself, but it's her. I don't know exactly how, but she went into the outside world to find someone to have a spell cast on them. It would have gotten the cherry blossoms to go to the edge of the border, and go unnoticed by everybody, never being tracked."

Alice pointed at me, slightly raising an eyebrow.

"You...Kyon, was it? You were just chosen at random to keep the winter in Gensokyo going. Randomly coming across you and your group of friends."

She rubbed her chin, eyes narrowing.

"And yet here you are, foiling her plan to keep the cherry blossoms away. Tell me. Were you anywhere cold before you came here?"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. My heart pounded, my breath shortened, but I found the strength to answer her.

"I...I was at...a skiing vacation."

_I was actually chosen to keep Gensokyo in winter? Why? Why me? Why lay that on me? _My mind went back to what Reimu said earlier. She may have been harsh, but she was right. Sakuya should have gone for the kill against Letty. But how could we have known?

Alice nodded.

"Perfect weather for the Yuki-Onna. She said she came across you and four of your friends outside, one of them fell. Out of all of them, you were the most normal, the least likely to get something done. At least, from her vantage point."

_Dammit. I know I'm normal, but do people have to rub it in my face?_

"She sensed something about the other four, each had their own power. The one who would have sensed her was incapacitated though, so that's why she acted. But you, you were just too normal. Too perfect a target."

The puppeteer smiled, finally showing emotion.

"And from the looks of you being here, too good to be true."

* * *

Alice invited us for a cup of tea inside her house, saying that she would take us to the source of the cherry blossoms afterwards. The inside of her house was quite neat and orderly. Not bad, that is, if you didn't mind all the doll parts here and there, or dolls in various locations. Creepy (I'm using that word a lot here, but it's justified), especially the workbench where a few eyeless doll heads were just sitting there, seemingly staring me down.

_I think I've decided it. I don't care much for dolls at all._

Once we were seated, Alice began moving her fingers, and in the light of the fireplace, I saw the glimmer of the strings attached to the rings. Within seconds, some of the dolls were getting up, and moving about, preparing the tea. This was both awesome and disturbing. Alice got up to get some snacks, and while her back was turned, we heard her speak.

"I still can't believe you don't remember me."

That was a statement that was obviously directed to Reimu, who responded.

"Can't say that I do." Reimu paused for a few seconds, tilting her head. "However, I do remember a _human_ named Alice Margatroid."

Alice, a bit wide-eyed, spun around as Reimu continued. The miko's eyes narrowed.

"But the youkai before me isn't human."

It wasn't until then that I noticed Alice's eyes. Why didn't I notice it when she was checking me over earlier? Alice's irises. They changed color now and then: orange, blue, green, and various shades of those. They didn't stay with one color. She's not human; so, what, she was able to turn into a youkai?

Okay, well, if a human lives a long time, folklore says that they can become a youkai, but...there can be a process for this then that quickly? _Meiling is right. A world of making the impossible possible._

Reimu leaned forward in her seat.

"What happened to you, Alice?" Again, Reimu paused, as her gaze obviously went to the book that Alice had. "It's that damn grimoire, isn't it?"

Alice looked down before she turned back to getting the snacks. She promptly set them down at the table in front of us, and the dolls began to pour the tea. She took a cup, and held it in her right hand, her left clutching the book. All the while, she couldn't bring her eyes up to us; all the while, her grip on the book tightening. I stared at it - the seemingly normal book - wondering what it was.

Thing is, I would never find out what it really was. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Reimu continued.

"Why, Alice? Why did you give up your humanity? For more power? Then...then why didn't you use that power back in that fight? You were holding back, even in the confines that Danmaku calls for."

"Not that I'm complaining, ze!"

I couldn't complain either, especially since I was forced to be along for that ride. Although, I don't think "holding back" would have applied to that last spell card.

Marisa began wolfing down the snacks. They were little cookie-looking things. I've never seen them before. The tea though, I was awestruck. It matched Asahina's!

Alice sighed. It was clear she was trying not to show emotion, but there was sadness in her eyes.

"It was my choice."

"Then it's one that doesn't make any sense at all, Alice. I would like to know why."

Alice opened her mouth to say something but Reimu interrupted.

"And no, it can't be 'so I could beat you guys', because you had your chance out there, and didn't take it."

"Again, not complaining, ze!"

Sakuya put down her teacup.

"So you two have met this puppeteer before?"

Marisa stared at Alice before it seemed to dawn on her that she's met her before. Marisa's eyes lit up as a smile washed over her face.

"Oh, yeah...Alice? _That_ Alice? Makai? Wow. You grew last time I saw you. Those growth spurts really do a number on our female bodies, don't they?"

"Wait, I thought this _was_ a Makai, right? Gensokyo? A world of youkai?"

I mean, that's the definition of Makai in folklore. A world just for youkai. A Marisa rubbed her chin, still smiling, before she answered me.

"Ehh, Kyon, it's more simply a world of spirits than anything else. Very deadly to live there, but just being there increases magical ability."

Reimu took a sip before speaking.

"Makai isn't important. I mean, it's located behind my shrine in a cave."

_You have a world of spirits behind your house and it isn't important?_ She'd never get back to me on that.

"But no, this was all before the Scarlet Mist Incident. Long story short, we were just kids, Marisa, Alice and I."

Marisa interrupted, raising an eyebrow.

"'Kids'? Reimu, that was like, two years ago."

Reimu appeared to ignore Marisa's quip.

"Alice found that grimoire she's carrying, and challenged me with it. In fact, if I recall, Alice, you said you would beat me with it. And you didn't. And _then_ you said you would never 'play' with me again."

Alice stood up, dropping her tea cup, which shattered on the ground. She kept looking down, tears streaming down her face. Her fists were clenched, and the dolls around the room immediately went limp and fell to the floor in unison, making a very loud noise when they all hit the ground at the same time. Not to mention the ones carrying the teapot.

It took a lot of willpower to not jump in surprise.

Sakuya shot a glare at Reimu.

"Red-White, was that-"

"I...I'll show you where the cherry blossoms are coming from right now. Let's go."

Marisa stood up, moving towards Alice.

"Alice, Alice I'm sorry, she didn-"

Alice held up a hand to keep Marisa away.

"Let's go."

Reimu stood up, arms crossed again.

"I just want to know the truth."

Alice took a deep breath. She had closed her eyes, and slowly opened them to narrow slits. Her hand clenched into a fist, and she let it go to her side. Alice then turned to the miko.

"..._you_. It was all about beating _you_. Even back then, you didn't remember me when I challenged you a second time...I...I gave my humanity to beat _you_. And even then it didn't work. It wasn't enough. Now...now I'm not human anymore. I mean, look at me!"

She extended her arms, and all the dolls in the house shuddered. I don't know how I didn't scream.

"_Look at me!_ I live all alone out here with my dolls. The humans in the village are weary of me. I'll outlive any human friends I'll ever make! And it's all because of you." Alice was shaking, clenching her teeth, more tears falling. "You...you're just too strong! You wrote the rules of Danmaku to ensure that you could never be beaten! 'Youkai can easily start incidents', but 'Humans can easily resolve' them! _You wrote yourself to never be denied victory!_ You're nothing but a bully, Reimu! A big bully!"

Reimu just stared at her, not saying anything. She didn't show any emotion at what Alice said, just stared. The silence lasted for a while before Alice collapsed into her chair and began to cry.

Sakuya just shook her head at Reimu. I couldn't help but do the same.

_Why is everyone in here so screwed up?_

* * *

Interesting that it was the Yuki-Onna. The fox woman was told by her master that it was indeed her. But for it to be like this? A spell to make the blossoms never become a factor in Gensokyo? She had to commend Whiterock's plan in a way - keeping winter alive like this by making sure that nobody knew where to go.

The fox woman looked up into the sky, the storm really picking up. She'd been outside nearly all day, and she was long since cold. But she wasn't looking up at nowhere. She knew where the four would be heading.

Up there. The realm above the clouds.

Though...

There she was again, a ways away from the fox woman. The tengu crow girl. The woman had a feeling someone was following her since the shrine, but then the girl started to follow those four. She was taking pictures with that camera in each battle they had. What was her name? She was that Tengu reporter, the one who wrote the newspaper - the name was on the tip of the woman's tongue. But there she was, at a distance. The woman couldn't help but wonder if she would become a problem...

Another problem was that by now, the ghosts had to have found the boy, and they had to have reported him to..._her. _The mistress of the dead...

They know the spring has collected in him.

Why send him in? Why send in Kyon? It was stupid. But her master said, that even if it wouldn't collect in him, the original timeline would have the girls collecting the spring instead, and they would have gone towards their goal anyways. So, instead of the girls being the targets, the boy is now the target.

The boy was being delivered as the final piece of the puzzle, straight to them.

"Lady Yukari, you idiot, why do this? It's too damn risky."

Then again, all her plans were risky. And they all succeeded, save for that one, a thousand years ago. It was Yukari's one failure.

The failure that started this whole situation.

* * *

Mystia closed up the stand, taking measures to reinforce it. Sadly, she couldn't move it - the wheels were frozen solid. She could feel that tonight would be bad - the wind was picking up, the snowstorm starting to build. Wriggle didn't talk much since lunch, and there were no customers, so she was able to stay by the warmth of the grill all day. They were now moving fast, towards Mystia's house - another one built into a tree. They passed by several other tree-houses, but they were snowed in. A few had collapsed. The nightsparrow didn't want to think about that too much.

"Hey, Mysti, how come you haven't sung or anything today? You're usually always singing."

"The cold air. Cold air is bad for the vocal chords."

Mystia raised an eyebrow over that question that came out of nowhere, but didn't get to ask why Wriggle just up and asked that - Mystia saw someone waiting at her front door. The little youkai of shadows, Rumia, was there.

"Rumia? What are you doing here?"

"I got caught outside and my house got snowed in! So I went to Wriggle's, but her house is gone! Now I'm here! The snowstorm is right behind me! The area around the Lake already has several feet!"

The wind was picking up fast, making it a hard to hear, which was why she was shouting. Mystia quickly unlocked the door, and all three ran inside, Wriggle slamming the door-

"OW!"

The door swung open, Cirno holding her fingers.

"_What was that for_?"

"Cirno? Why- Wait, Cirno, what happened to you?"

Cirno was messed up. Her clothes and hair singed, and various parts of her body bandaged up. The green-haired fairy spoke up from behind.

"She went up against that witch girl again and that Master Spark of hers. Now, can we get inside?"

Wriggle crossed her arms, smirking.

"Let me guess. Lost yet another Danmaku battle? What are you now, against people other than us - zero and sixteen?"

Cirno scrunched up her face, pissed off.

"Shut up! Besides, I still beat you guys!"

Both Cirno and Daiyousei entered, the nightsparrow's entryway now crowded. Mystia glanced over the two fairies as she took off her scarf and shut the door, after making sure there were no other uninvited guests.

"Let me guess, snowed out."

"Unlike anything Eye've ever seen, Mysti! This storm came out of nowhere! Daiyousei and Eye were out playing, and all of a sudden BAM! Snow! Our houses were buried before we could do anything!"

"Cirno, you live in an igloo. This shouldn't be a problem for you."

"Eye know and my house is fine, but Daiyousei can't handle the cold like Eye can!"

Wriggle let out a sigh.

"_None_ of us can handle the cold that well, you know. Some less than others. You're one of the few that can, along that Yuki-Onna I've seen you hanging around with lately."

Mystia didn't like the way Wriggle said that. She had a feeling she knew what the firefly was implying. But then again...

Daiyousei took off her scarf and raised an eyebrow at Nightbug.

"What's wrong with us knowing the Yuki-Onna?"

"Is that so? A snow ghost? You mean she can control the cold?"

"That's Letty Whiterock, isn't it? I had a few customers come in yesterday cursing her name, saying that this was all her fault...that it had to be."

"_What_? Letty's not..."

Cirno furrowed her brow, thinking. But what was she thinking? Did she know something? But this is Cirno we're talking about, she's not one to be a part of some grand scheme. Unknowingly, maybe, but to freeze Gensokyo? Mystia didn't want to think about it much longer.

"Well, you know what, girls, I didn't expect to host a party tonight, but let's get out of the entryway and start a fire. The sound of that wind says that we'll be staying here...possibly forever if we get snowed in."

* * *

They sat down around the kotatsu, Wriggle finally happy with the warmth. Mysti was preparing some hot cocoa, and things were looking up compared to what happened earlier today. Losing her home and all. Well, serves her right. Maybe for her next house she won't let termites crash for the winter. She looked around, hoping that none of her friends would find out since it would be too embarrassing. Well, the termites didn't survive, so she couldn't berate them.

But that Yuki-Onna, she only saw her once. Happy with the way winter was not ending, right? She thought hard to that time she saw the ghost with Cirno. What did she say? The ghost's lips moving, sounding out, "Lilly-"

Her eyes narrowed. No way. Cirno wouldn't be a part of that. Maybe Letty was just talking about the Spring Fairy in conversation. But the alternative - no, she knew Cirno. She was a fun-loving idiot, yes, but for this? The Yuki-Onna though, Wriggle knew next to nothing about, other than she only was supposed to be out during the winter.

Wriggle didn't like this train of thought. Is this it? Is that the answer? Did Letty do something so drastic as to kidnap the spring fairy? This was too much for her mind to handle. Should she bring this up with her friends?

And risk breaking up the friendship? Wriggle was a mere bug youkai, hardly anyone wanted to be around her, that is, until Cirno showed up looking for Rhino Beetles in the forest a few years ago. The fairy was loud, boisterous, obnoxious, and had this charm about her. It was weird, too, since she brought cold wherever she was, that this friendship formed. And then she was introduced to Mysti, Daiyousei, and Rumia, finally making some more friends. They were impressed with her ability to control bugs, especially getting large groups of her brethren fireflies to put on shows during the summer.

Maybe she'd sleep on asking Cirno about this.

* * *

Rumia was pleased with herself. She had managed to get quite the score today, and was proud of it. She timed it just right, to avoid detection from that annoying self-proclaimed protector of the human village, and snuck in. She found what she wanted, and moved it to a nearby cave, then rushed home, only to find it snowed in. Other than that setback, everything was going according to plan. As soon as this storm was over, she'd have to go back and move it again to a better area, but for the future, everything was great for her. Even the snow clouds were especially thick during that time, blocking out that accursed light. As long as they didn't get snowed in here, things were going to be just fine.

Mysti walked in, carrying the cocoa. Ah, Mysti. As another creature of the night, Rumia appreciated the way the nightsparrow had her home all nice and full of that lovely darkness. The grate in front of the fireplace cast all kinds of neat shadows, and gave her a place to sit without being in the light.

"Girls, you're in for a treat. Managed to get some marshmallows from a customer as payment. In the outside world, they go great with hot cocoa!"

"Is that so?"

* * *

-begin-

Subject [NAME REDACTED] "KYON" attempting to undo plan against product GENSOKYO of Enemy Target HARUHI SUZUMIYA.

Will update when more information is gathered.

-end-

* * *

**I just love Alice's theme. It's so mysterious, dark, and fun at the same time. Interestingly enough, Alice's eye color keeps changing throughout the series. And yes, Alice is quite mad. Everyone is a little mad in this wonderland, people. There are only a handful of people who are truly sane in here.**

**Poor poor Kyon. He's surrounded by the slightly insane...**

**Insane overpowered girls with nothing better to do.**

**I guess that makes him feel right at home then.**


	7. ICB Episode 7 Instrument

**Keep bringing on the reviews. And this story is close to 2,000 views already. Just plain amazing.**

**Also, I wonder if this is doing the job of introducing more people to Touhou.**

**For those familiar with it, yes, those three fairies mentioned in the previous episode were the three mischievous fairies.**

**On a personal note, "The Capital City of Flowers in the Sky" is hands down my favorite song in the entire series.**

**************The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is owned by Nagaru Tanigawa. Touhou Project is owned by ZUN and Team Shanghai Alice. I own neither. This is a fan fiction of those works.**

**Beta Readers for this Episode(Alphabetical Order):**

**Serendipital**

**Sky Rider **(Left Project - Had this chapter for 8 months, and only beta read half of it.)

**superstarultra**

* * *

We were above the clouds. The sun was setting. The final sliver of sunlight came over the horizon to signal the end of daylight for this awfully busy day we went through. Well, that part was kind of a lie though. We spent most of the day just walking or flying around Gensokyo. Anyways, that wasn't the light we were looking at. The four of us were in awe. Alice the only one who maintained composure.

I heard myself whisper, "What the hell is that?"

Alice merely pointed to it, unemotional. "That's it."

A bright light, up in the air, giving off this purple aura, among other colors like blue and red. It was amazing. Cherry blossoms were seen coming from the direction of the light.

"The realm of the dead. Hakugyokurou."

We all turned to Alice. I felt as if the wind was knocked out of me. _There's no way, right?_

"_What_?"

She just merely nodded, before floating back below cloud level. Drop a bombshell like that and just leave? Seriously?

"Wait! Alice!"

She looked up at Reimu, her face expressionless.

"I did what I said I was going to do."

And with that, she disappeared down into the clouds, leaving the four of us in the heavens, and me in a state of shock.

I still couldn't believe what she said, even after some time had passed.

Hakugyokurou. Said to be the afterlife realm for artists, where ghosts were said to visit every spring for flower viewing. _Famous for its cherry blossom gardens._

How fitting.

But for it to actually exist... The afterlife?

* * *

******Imperfect Cherry Blossom**

**E****pisode 7**

**["Instrument"]**

* * *

_**"There is a secret place in Gensokyo that is already enjoying the full bloom of spring.**_

_**Literally no living human knows about it...**_

_**And there were few humans in Gensokyo to begin with.**_

_**Spring has yet to come."**_

**- Perfect Cherry Blossom: Prologue**

* * *

**=The Cherry Blossom Barrier from above the Clouds=**

_**"Cherry Petals have been falling from above the clouds.**_

_**Does the legendary place really exist?"**_

**-Touhou 7, Perfect Cherry Blossom - Stage 4**

* * *

We were quiet as we approached the source of the light, the true source of the cherry blossoms. Nothing but the sound of the blaring cold winter wind below us. The snowstorm picked up big time - when we left Alice's house, it started coming down hard. Heaviest I, or any of my three companions, have ever seen. That night would have a massive blizzard.

In the back of my mind, I made a little connection, thinking of Ragnarok, the end of days for Norse mythology where the world was covered in an endless snowstorm. I hoped that wouldn't be the case for this place.

I still couldn't believe that I was chosen to actually help Whiterock's plan. If I had stayed out there, as Alice had said, none of the cherry blossoms would be seen in Gensokyo. And Sakuya, Reimu, and Marisa wouldn't have the best clue as to where to start with their investigations. They might have gotten lucky if they wandered around, but still, I couldn't talk about what ifs. _What's done is done. I'm here, I'm helping them, and I'm getting home. _

Me being used like that just caused something to snap. I felt like I needed to see this through, Haruhi's creation or not, to make Letty's plan fail and fail hard. _If I see that snow ghost again...well, what can I do? I can't fight in here. I'll have to depend on the girls to take on Whiterock and make sure she pays for getting me involved like this. Though maybe I can use my lighter to melt her or something. _I don't know. Somewhat like the flashlight and that youkai of shadows I met back in January.

That is, of course, assuming what Alice told us was true. But I didn't think about that. I believed her, and the girls did as well. Besides, it was obvious that the blossoms were coming from where we were headed.

Reimu held up her hand, signaling us to stop.

"You hear that?"

Marisa slowed down, cupping a hand over her ear.

"Hear what?"

Sakuya tilted her head. I started to hear it as well.

"...what the...?"

"Is that music?"

_Afterlife for artists, huh?_

* * *

The fox woman couldn't follow them anymore. There was nowhere to really hide herself, other than in the clouds, and it was a windy mess in them. After the puppeteer and the four left, she went up, and watched them head towards the true goal. She'd have to go back home - having done everything that she could, although she'd like to do more.

The wind started to blare. She was not looking forward to navigating in this. She could fly above the clouds, but she couldn't risk those four seeing her just yet.

This was going to suck.

"Ayayaya. You're unable to follow them, too."

From below she came. White shirt, black skirt, and that funny looking red hat. What was it called? A Tokin? The crow-tengu girl's shoulder-length black hair flapped a bit due to how close to the clouds she was. The woman jolted in surprise when she saw her rise up next to her, those wings flapping.

"So we tengu aren't the only ones who know something is going down. If this were a normal winter, we'd enjoy it. I'd enjoy it, because the wind can carry me even faster. However, this winter has gotten really bad - even youkai aren't having fun anymore. At least we can depend on the Shrine Maiden to get things done for us."

She held out her hand.

"Aya Shameimaru. I write Gensokyo's Fastest and Most Accurate Record of Reality, the Bunbunmaru Newspaper!"

When the fox woman didn't shake her hand, Aya shrugged and continued, bringing out her journal and pencil, ready to write.

"Hmph. Okay. But I don't know why you're acting like this. The both of us have been following those humans pretty much all day. I got some amazing pictures of their battles, enough stuff to write multiple articles about," the tengu said as she flipped a few pages in the journal. Aya then went back to her original page, again ready to write. "But what's your story? I know you work for that border youkai. Or...or does she still like to be called a demon? Anyways, what's your name again? Ren? Rin? Ah yes, Ran. Ran Yakumo. Servant to that Border Demon. Why are you following them?"

Ran sighed as she went down into the clouds, wanting to avoid the tengu and her questions. Besides, Ran knew about the Bunbunmaru - it was a poorly written paper.

"It has to do with the boy from the outside world, doesn't it? Kyon, right?"

Aya smiled, narrowing her red eyes as Ran shot a look back up at her.

"Ayayaya. Did you forget? We tengu have advanced sight and hearing abilities. I don't even have to be near like you to hear things. So shall I be forced to write what I _think _is going on, or can I get an interview from someone who has a hand in this? Because if I _am_ forced to write down what I think is going on, I'll have no choice but to include the name of a certain kitsune, and have her picture in the papers when she used that spell card on the fairies. However, I do take pride in my ability to protect my sources in anonymity."

Ran clenched her fists, getting a chuckle from Aya in response.

"Ayayaya. If you want to attack, go ahead. I can run circles around you. I _am_ the fastest creature in Gensokyo, after all."

Aya moved close to Ran, grinning from ear to ear.

"So what do you say, Miss Ran? Do you want to be front page news or will you give me what I want?"

* * *

Again, I'll say it. It was amazing. We approached a large gate in the sky, and right above it, a light shining out of what appeared to be a tear in space-time itself. The gate had a platform in front of it with four columns; a perfect little square. But the gate connected to nothing, there was absolutely nothing behind it. Yet the light that seeped through the cracks of the gate...

There was something else seeping.

"Girls, what's that?"

Glowing orbs poured out of the tear, coming right for us. _You gotta be kidding me._ Sakuya brought out her knives.

"Ah...ah...Red-White?"

I held on tighter to Marisa.

"Tell me those aren't what I think they are!"

"They are, Kyon! _Ghosts_!"

_Really bad time for me to find out that ghosts really exist!_ An army of ghosts firing energy shots at us at that. Reimu brought out some amulets, her face going serious.

"_Blast them_!"

Marisa, Sakuya, and Reimu opened fire, mowing down the mobs of ghosts as they came right at us.

"Well, Red-White, I think this is a good an admission of guilt as any! We now know where the people who took the spring come from!"

_This doesn't make any sense though! Then again, par for the course in a world made by Haruhi, right? That is, if it is made by her._

"But the afterlife? What do they want with spring?"

"We'll work on that later, Kyon! Let's just go in, get the spring, and be done with it!"

Can't argue with how blunt Reimu was with that logic. Especially since it would get me out of there faster.

Marisa made a quick move that made me hold on tighter. She called out as she shot a laser at the incoming ghosts.

"Something tells me the afterlife isn't gonna be friendly about us barging in, ze!"

"You think? Well, _they_ took _our_ spring! We need to get it back!"

Sakuya said that as she brought out a spell card.

[SPELL CARD: ILLUSION SIGN "KILLING DOLL"]

A wall of ghosts fell, unable to stand against our maid companion's precision knife-throwing.

"_Come on! Enough small fry!_"

[SPELL CARD: MAGIC SIGN "MILKY WAY"]

The colorful stars that formed around Marisa and I homed in on the next wave, dissipating the ghosts into nothingness.

"_Woo! Get some, da ze!_"

[SPELL CARD: SPIRIT SIGN "FANTASY SEAL ~ CONCENTRATE"]

Again, mowed down.

"_They just won't stop!_"

_How many afterlives are we ending here? Jeez!_

Wait, _were_ we ending afterlives? Is that even possible? Then again, I wasn't in a position to say, nor in a position to deduce the logic of this!

"Reimu! Sakuya! Barrier time!"

Marisa tossed up a few blossoms. The two girls put a hand on my shoulder as I absorbed them, the red barrier coming to life. Then we all sped up, charging.

I have to say that this was awesome. The ghosts didn't stand a chance. None of them did. Not with the combined might of the maid, the witch, and the miko. I finally felt confidence, what with the way these three were finally on the same page.

_We can't lose._

Oh, if only things were that easy.

* * *

Patchouli walked down the hallway. The snowstorm was picking up out there. She narrowed her eyes, knowing that unless she bundled up well tonight, she'd only get sick again.

A cough came out of nowhere, her lungs stung with the sudden action. Patchouli rolled her eyes in response to that. Great. She possibly caught something already. This winter had gone on for too long. She wondered why Remi didn't take it as seriously. Well, it wasn't as if she was going to run out of food these past months, not with the boy there, which was why she bothered keeping him here in the first place, besides honoring Patchouli's request. But his blood carrying that blessing, or whatever it truly was, kind of cut off that supply.

The boy was an interesting study. A normal human male, mid-teens. Japanese. Yet for him to experience what he had, to survive his experiences, to change the world to what it was on multiple occasions...Remi was right. Things were getting interesting out there. But for a single human individual to have the sheer power to create from absolute nothingness? Well, it was the very concept of a creator, or God.

Religion is one thing, it can be altered to fit the individuals who are in control of the religion. For actual Gods, though that was an entirely different matter. Gods ran on faith. At least in her experience. Though this, what was her name, Haruhi? She wondered about her. And the others. Yes, the boy had a male "friend" that he didn't think much of at times. That friend, the esper, and his Organization. Seeking to protect their God, and their world by resolving incidents, not unlike that Miko and the Witch who steals the books from the library.

There were indeed a lot of similarities to be seen there. The one he referenced Patchouli to, the one with what he once called "Bogus Magic". Nagato. The book reader, the quiet one. He said that they had the same colored hair even, Patchouli and her. The one he counted on to get things done. Then there was the time traveler, who only seemed to be of moderate use. Though for her to send him back in time to "inspire" the creator, it made her important. And then there was the creator herself. A selfish little girl who can unconsciously control and manipulate everything around her, and who had to be grounded by the boy. Patchouli wondered who could be the ground for Remi.

"Lady Patchouli?"

The voice of her assistant brought Patchouli out of her thoughts.

"Ah, Koakuma. Could you please go to the Library and prepare my tea? I won't be long. Oh, and prepare the cough medicine. I do believe I'm coming down with something again. As for dinner, well, the usual Udon will do."

"Yes, Lady Patchouli. But may I ask where you're going?"

"The fairy child. I believe I told you earlier."

"Oh. Oh yes."

With that, Koakuma bowed and left.

She smiled as she watched her familiar go about her business. So obedient. So helpful.

_*creak*_

Patchouli looked up, her heart skipping a beat, her train of thought cut short. The mansion was making a lot of noise, what with all that snow on the roof. They would send servants out to clear off all the snow, but each night, it just piled on back. Though since she strengthened all the pillars with magic, she wasn't worried. Actually, she _shouldn't_ be worried, yet why was she?

Maybe she should increase the potency. Yes, that'll do. She continued walking down the hall, her mind already going through her list of seals, symbols, and barriers, mentally looking for the right one. Nothing a little magic can't fix.

_Yes. Nothing to worry about._

* * *

The ghosts stopped coming. We made our way closer to the huge door, and there was a woman standing on the platform, staring us down. I clenched my jaw upon seeing her. The woman in white. The Yuki-Onna. Letty Whiterock.

Upon seeing who it was, Sakuya shouted.

"_That ice bitch! I'll kill her this time!_"

Obviously Sakuya felt some guilt that we had the person behind all of this in our grasp earlier today, and let her run away. Sakuya threw a few knives at the Yuki-Onna, who simply held up her hand, a sheet of ice forming, blocking them all. More knives appeared all around her, but again, more sheets of ice got in the way. I couldn't help but curse along with Sakuya in frustration over that. _Looks like the Yuki-Onna was merely toying with us earlier, not serious in the Danmaku battle that morning._ She was showing us how powerful she really was at that point. Letty smiled, and let out a chuckle.

"Fufufu. My, my, the three suddenly start working together after all of their bickering when they see the true enemy. It's like a poorly written story that wants to hurry up and make up for little character development."

"For the record, I don't bicker with anyone, ze."

_No, you're just flirting with me. I'm not complaining, however._

"Give up, Whiterock! We're returning Spring to Gensokyo!"

_And getting me back home. Don't forget that, Reimu!_

Whiterock showed no emotional response to that except another smile.

"Fufufu. You actually think you stand a chance in there? Even if you kill me here and enter, you'll doom existence. You don't know what's in there, do you? You're playing right into her plan. No, my little miko, what you need to do is go back down there and enjoy an eternal winter! Because it's better than the alternative. That was my plan as well, to avoid a certain outcome. All you have to do is make that boy go home, and _none_ of you will die."

We all looked at each other, Sakuya gritting her teeth.

"Stop speaking in riddles, ice-bitch!"

_Wow, Sakuya can get aggressive._

"Oh, that's language unbecoming of a maid. But I'm not speaking in riddles - go inside there, and you'll doom not only yourselves, but everyone you ever cared for. The same goes for the boy and his world."

She gazed at me with her cold eyes (how fitting), smiling. My anger was ebbing away, with her tone.

"How about it, boy? Your friends, your family? They've been worried sick about you. And that one girl, Haruhi, she misses you so dearly. You don't know what's been going on out there. Your esper friends are hard at work, though they are dying at an increased rate. They can't keep up with all those closed spaces."

My eyes widened. _She knows all about me._ My thoughts went back to the people I knew. I mean, I have been referencing them, but I actually haven't given them much thought that day. I did not want to, actually.

But to hear about the espers dying out there...all the closed spaces forming. Everything I've done out there to keep things relatively normal just gone... Even hearing that Haruhi was missing me was a bit much.

Whiterock noticed the shock on my face.

"Oh, yes, I learned a few things about you, boy. Where you live, where your friends live, what your life was all about. Mostly because they talk about you, and how much they miss you."

Letty crossed her arms, her smirk making my skin crawl. I guess this was how it felt to meet a true evil person. Sad that I used to want to feel this. Now...to actually be there, I regretted it.

"Go home, boy. End it. Forget about the plight of Gensokyo. Otherwise you'll doom not only this world, but yours. Nothing will stop it. Just turn back now and allow me to cover Gensokyo in white forever!"

_Man, she's just like the bad guys in the comics._

"After all, you don't know of the mistress of this place, do you?" Whiterock's smile widened. She seemed to be really enjoying this whole speech. "_Did you know she can kill you by merely willing it?_ Such a terrifying power! And you four want to oppose her?"

You know, nobody told us about that part. My anger had dissipated, replaced by uncertainty. I think the same went for my three companions. Sakuya was no longer looking like she was ready to kill...she was troubled. All of us were.

I mean, nobody said that the person behind this was that powerful!

_No, wait, calm down. If something like Asakura could be beaten, then surely something like that can as well._

Right?

Thing is, there was no Nagato there in Gensokyo. It was at that point that I thought we might be in a whole lot of trouble.

The music started to get louder, Letty casually turning to the gate in response.

"Ah, it's your opposition. Well, I hope your teamwork skills are up to par. Well, no. If they are merely at par, you won't survive them. I advise you to leave now." Whiterock turned back to us, staring directly at me, smirking. "Do the smart thing, boy. Give up and run away. And allow winter to reign supreme."

I felt fear, anger, and a whole mix of emotions being addressed like that. I also felt useless. I couldn't fight against a being like Whiterock at all, could I?

The light from above the gate increased, catching the attention of all four of us and breaking me from my musing. It was otherworldly, beautiful. Then I looked back down.

Whiterock was gone.

"Girls," I blurted out. "Where'd she go?!"

"...Wha..._No! That God Damn Ice-_"

Marisa pointed at the rift and shouted, interrupting Sakuya before she could call Letty that...name again.

"_Look!_"

We didn't have time to be angry. Three figures appeared from the rift. Three girls. They burst through the opening, announcing themselves.

A girl in a red band uniform with pink and black trim, and light brown hair and brown eyes, wore a red hat with a green shooting star symbol. She was carrying an electric keyboard. She had to be in her mid-to-late teens.

"_The Keyboardist and the youngest of the group! Lyrica!_"

A girl in a light pink band uniform, with blue and black trim and wavy light blue hair and blue eyes, wore a pink hat with a sun symbol. She was carrying a trumpet. She had to be in her late teens.

"_The Trumpeter of the group! Merlin!_"

A girl in a black band uniform, with white and red trim and gold eyes and short blonde hair, wore, wore a black hat with a red crescent moon symbol. She was carrying a violin. She had to be in her very late teens or very early twenties.

"_The Violinist and eldest of the group! Lunasa!_"

They all posed in midair in overly dramatic fashion, announcing themselves.

"_We are the Poltergeist Musical Performance Ensemble! The Phantom Prismriver Sisters!_"

_When did I transport into an anime? Seriously, that's what this feels like! Some overdone, over-dramatic introduction of characters of some midday anime!_

These three sisters, these artists floated in front of the door. Again, more girls from Europe. I hated not knowing what nationality these people were. For a brief few seconds, I went over who was from where. With all the English books that were in my bedroom, I suppose Remilia is English, at least. Also, isn't "Remilia" an English name? But "Flandre" is supposed to be a French name. Agh! Head-hurting, but my mind didn't want to stop. Patchouli would be harder to nail down, that Yuki-Onna was also...

On the trail of a certain snow-ghost, my attention went back to the ghosts before me. Again, hard to pin down, except that they had to be from somewhere in Europe. Despite all the nationalities, everyone I've met in Gensokyo had surprisingly fluent Japanese.

_Just like in all the anime and manga. No matter where in the world they are, everyone speaks Japanese. Convenient for me._

Back to the matters at hand - the Prismrivers. They were all smiling and had playful looks on their faces. Their heads and bodies were moving in tune in sync to some beat that wasn't being played. Looked like they were all about music.

"Let us in, Phantoms!" Reimu shouted as she moved forward, stopping a few meters away from the sisters. "We need to return Spring to Gensokyo!"

Merlin smirked, twirling in the air, playfully.

"Hmmm, we're sorry, but you don't have an instrument!"

Lunasa extended her arm at the gate.

"It's too bad, really! You see, there is going to be a big performance for the flower viewing! We will be performing!"

Merlin stopped her twirl, pointing to all of us.

"And _you're_ not invited!"

Reimu crossed her arms, showing annoyance.

"Hmmm...invited by ghosts...no thank you."

Sakuya floated forward, stopping at Reimu's side. The maid opened and closed her right hand as if she was loosening it up.

"What, are you going to have a flower viewing party after this, or something?"

Merlin once again spoke.

"Yes, we shall!"

"Sounds like fun," Sakuya nodded slightly.

As the maid said that, Lunasa interrupted.

"But before that, we need stuff for the banquet!"

Lyrica smirked, staring directly at Sakuya.

"It is the eve-feast of the flower viewing festival-"

Lunasa ran her tongue across the top row of her teeth, as she kept the beat Lyrica had in that previous sentence.

"-And _you_ are to serve as food!"

Lyrica laughed, and playfully hit a few notes on her keyboard.

"Dog-meat dog-meat!"

Sakuya grimaced in response as Marisa and I moved forward (I was still on the broom with her). So wait, _phantoms/ghosts eat humans too?_

"My good friends, would you kindly open this door, ze?"

Merlin smiled at Marisa.

"Oh, look! Lyrica has made a friend! Won't you listen to a performance piece, my good friend?"

Lunasa chimed in.

"It's a song of welcome, to a dear good friend!"

Lyrica joined in as well.

"Friend!"

_What the hell is with these conversations? Seriously! Give me another philosophical lecture from Koizumi, God! Just fill the rest of my life with them until I die!_

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you don't plan on opening this gate, ze."

_Well that's obvious. If this were a video game, I would say it was just about to be boss time._

The Prismrivers all kept smiling at us. Merlin spinning her trumpet with a finger, Lyrica cracking her knuckles, and Lunasa tuning her violin. I could tell that they weren't going to go easy on us. I knew at that point that the fight with them was going to be really, really bad.

_It really is going to be boss time! Sorry, Marisa, if I'm holding onto you a bit too tight._

Lunasa, the obvious leader of the group, shouted out as she positioned her violin under her chin, tapping her bowstring against the neck of her instrument.

"_Well, then! Let's start the performance! Sisters, get ready!_"

Merlin stopped spinning her trumpet and got ready to play.

"Prepare for the greatest concert you'll ever hear!"

Lyrica pointed at all of us before readying her fingers over her keyboard.

"And since it'll be your last, make sure to enjoy it to the fullest!"

Sakuya turned to us.

"So who's taking these three on-"

_Why'd she turn her back! _ I yelled out at her.

"_Sakuya, look out!_"

Marisa pushed her, as the Prismrivers opened up on all of us. Reimu was already dodging.

"Looks like it's three on three here!"

The Prismrivers played their instruments, a stream of danmaku coming right for the girls, and a white streak circled them, forming even more and shooting it our way. They danced with the music they played, dodging any retaliation my companions were mounting and making it look easy. They danced around us in a circle, smiling as they played their instruments, attempting to get us in a crossfire. Marisa smiled and brought out a spell card.

"Just where I want you!"

[SPELL CARD: LOVE SIGN "NON-DIRECTIONAL LASER"]

The three lasers returned, circling us. The Prismrivers were caught off-guard at this, each ducking in the air to avoid being fried. I couldn't help but notice when the trumpet of Merlin got grazed by the laser, and her respective danmaku phased out. The lasers went in a standard predictable pattern, but the knives and amulets chased them down. The sisters didn't merely dance out of the way, but had to go full speed to avoid this. Lyrica grinned.

"Not bad!"

Merlin twirled in the air again.

"We thought you'd be easy prey!"

Lunasa crossed her arms and shook her head, still smiling.

"It seems these fans of ours want to hear a hit instead of the warm-up song! Back me up on this one!"

_Stop it with the musical puns. And please don't let this battle be full of them._

[SPELL CARD: NOISY SIGN "PHANTOM DINNING"]

The sisters gathered, Lunasa up front, Lyrica and Merlin behind her. They played their instruments, the musical notes taking physical form and turning into an explosion of danmaku. Each of them were attacking a specific target. Lyrica aiming for Marisa, Merlin aiming for Sakuya, Lunasa aiming for Reimu. It didn't change. I told my flying companion as such. She merely nodded, and pointed at her wrist to Sakuya. What was she-

Grey. The world was in grey. Sakuya and Reimu had appeared by our side, Reimu bewildered. I'm guessing the miko hadn't had been in that grey realm before. The Prismrivers had stopped, everything had stopped - Sakuya had stopped time for us. I still couldn't get over how cool that was. Sakuya tilted her head at Marisa as she blinked with her red glowing eyes.

"Yes?"

Marisa told them what I noticed. Reimu nodded.

"Looks like we can use this to our advantage."

"How so, Red-White?" Sakuya asked.

"Well, for one thing, if they were smart, they'd focus on one person and pick us off one by one. Then it'd be down to two on three, then one on three."

"Divide and conquer, ze?" Marisa smirked.

Reimu responded with a smirk of her own, staring at the frozen-in-time Prismrivers.

"Looks like it. Let's do that to them, and make them pay for coming to the rescue of the one we're chasing."

Sakuya smiled, obviously liking this plan.

"So who do we go after then?"

I suggested Lyrica. After all, she was the youngest. Might be easier to take her down.

"Sounds fun," Sakuya said. "Well, ladies, let's put an end to these so-called artists."

"Now cue cheesy 80's montage of a team finding the value of friendship."

They stared at me after I said that.

"Sorry. An-"

Sakuya brought her palm to her face, sighing.

"Another joke from the outside world. Yeah, kind of got it there, Kyon."

I just shrugged. Can't be the wise cracking sidekick if my jokes are bad, right? Then again, I might find work in American movies. Mostly Adam Sandler ones.

The grey disappeared as Marisa tossed up another handful. Barriers up, we charged right at Lyrica, firing right at her. The Phantom panicked, breaking from the group as she dove around a pillar. Lunasa and Merlin stared in disbelief as their younger sister was chased. They tried to hit us, but the shots bounced off.

"Hey! That's not fair!"

"Leave her alone!"

They gave chase as well, but Sakuya and Reimu each used a spell card.

[SPELL CARD: ILLUSION SIGN "INDISCRIMINATE"]

[SPELL CARD: SPIRIT SIGN "FANTASY SEAL ~ SPREAD"]

A flurry of knives and energy balls appeared, randomly shooting out into the field. The two pursuing Prismrivers had to slow down before they reached this minefield, while Marisa gave chase to the youngest, making sure she was kept on the run. Lyrica and Merlin stopped, looked at each other, and moved back, going in the opposite direction. They ducked behind a pillar that Lyrica would be going behind in the next half lap around the place.

"Just what I wanted, ze!"

As we neared the pillar, a glow of energy formed behind it.

"Marisa!"

"Yeah, I see it!"

We rounded it, Marisa using a spell card.

[SPELL CARD: MAGIC SIGN "MILKY WAY"]

The barrage of colorful stars dissipated the danmaku welcome the two Prismrivers had set up. The two were running, uh, flying, right behind Lyrica, trying to avoid the incoming stars. It seemed that the plan the Prismrivers had, had indeed fallen apart. They gathered in front of the door when they finally got the stars to hit a pillar, and were staring at us.

The four of us went up to them, neither side firing a shot. Reimu moved forward.

"You know, I'm kind of tired of this already. I just want to get this over with and return spring to Gensokyo. So please. Forfeit right now."

Lyrica shook her head, and spoke to her sisters.

"I don't think our audience is appreciative of our performance!"

_Oh, I appreciate it. What I don't appreciate is being shot at. Please give up._

Lunasa tilted her head, as she reached into her uniform for something.

"Sisters, I know we had a planned set list, but the crowd is rather rough tonight. The Concerto Grosso will not do, so we'll need to change, and skip to the finale!"

Merlin's eyes widened in excitement.

"Oooooh! A surprise big finish?"

It was at that time that I noticed a figure in the rift. It just stood there, arms crossed. It made no movements, so I had to assume that someone was simply watching us. I didn't have time to go into further thought about that, since what happened next kind of put that figure out of my mind.

Lunasa took out a spell card. Something was different about it. It left a trail of...darkness? I knew I wasn't going to like this one. Reimu immediately yelled at the phantom.

"_You can't use a taboo spell card!_"

A number of curses went through my head over that revelation. A damn Taboo level card. The Prismrivers were going to go full power on us.

"Oh, yes, we can, because we have standing orders to do whatever is necessary to bring in anyone who has a large essence of spring. Besides, you yourselves cheated with that barrier. And it's the boy, isn't it? We see his reactions! Even when he doesn't have the barrier, we can see the red aura in him, the essence of spring itself! We actually need to thank you for saving us the trouble!"

_What are they talking about? Essence of spring?_

"Sisters! Time for the big finish!"

[TaBoO SpElL cArD: BaLlAd "StAiRwAy tO HeAvEn"]

The three sisters laughed as they floated to the point where their backs were to each other. They started to play their instruments, and spin, a golden pillar of light surrounding them. Sakuya tried throwing some knives, but they instead bounced off.

"What the-?"

"It's a Time-Out card!" Reimu shouted out. "We can't do anything to them until it wears off!"

_Oh, that's bad. That's really, really bad._

"_Holy crap, ze!_"

A flurry of danmaku was flung from the spinning sisters. Not only that, but instruments surrounded the platform, playing and shooting, each homing in on the closest person. It was an entire orchestra of instruments! Marisa was flying at top speed, trying to outrun them.

"_Why don't you just lie down and accept defeat!_"

"_Our band can never be beat!_"

"_Isn't our music sweeeeeeet?_"

_It's not bad. A little chaotic, but I could get into it. That is, if you girls weren't firing stuff at us!_

Sakuya and Reimu were completely surrounded. They were in a bad spot. Marisa and I kept moving, ducking, dodging, and weaving. The shots fired by the Prismrivers crackled, causing a lot of static electricity. They collided with each other, making loud cracking noises. My body knew this was a bad place to be at - I was in the middle of a war zone. A magical war zone, but a war zone nonetheless.

"This is why I hate taboo spell cards! Too damn unstable, ze!"

_I just hate enemy spell cards period!_

[SPELL CARD: TIME SIGN "PRIVATE SQUARE"]

Sakuya emitted a barrier sell card, protecting her and Reimu from the danmaku. I gave Marisa a squeeze to get her attention.

"Well, Marisa, any ideas?"

"..."

"Come on, Marisa! Any crazy ideas in that head of yours?"

_I don't want us to die here!_

"...Instruments."

"What?"

She turned to me, grinning.

"I saw it, too...Merlin..." Marisa turned towards the miko. "_I got an idea! Reimu! Like how I dealt with one of Flandre's taboo cards!_"

"_Which one?_"

"_Four of a Kind!_"

"_Are you crazy? That nearly killed you!_"

"_Of course I'm crazy, ze! And 'nearly killing' isn't the same as fully killing!_"

_This is her logic?!_ Reimu again shouted.

"_But that wasn't even one of her time-out cards!_"

"_Exactly why I am crazy! And it did work on Flandre anyways! I'll have to use one of my own Taboo Cards for this! Hang on tight, Kyon!_" Marisa stopped shouting, and turned to me. "And cop a feel or two if you want, because if this doesn't work, we'll both be dead."

"_What? Don't sound so calm when you say that!_"

For a brief second though, I seriously gave thought on taking her up on that offer. What the hell is wrong with me?

[SPELL CARD: DREAM SIGN "EVIL SEALING CIRCLE"]

"_Hurry up! We only have two barrier cards left!_"

[SPELL CARD: MAGIC SIGN "STARLIGHT REVERIE"]

Marisa used a spell card to give us some breathing room, this one a random-shooter, too. The colorful stars dissipated the shots around us.

"Carry the two...multiply..."

"What are you doing, Marisa?"

"Hold on! Math!"

"Math?"

_Math at a time like this?_

"...combined with their danmaku, and the barrier, and my own taboo card...Ah, to hell with it. If it works, it'll work. If not, Patchy gets all her books back!"

Nice of her to be so carefree about us dying. She dove right next to the line of instruments surrounding the platform, getting each to fire at us. Soon, after a whole lap around, we had a whole bunch following us.

[SPELL CARD: TIME SIGN "PERFECT SQUARE"]

Sakuya shouted, a hint of desperation in her voice.

"_One left! Hurry up, Black-White!_"

Upon hearing that, the Prismrivers began chanting, along with the music they were playing.

"_Oh, yes sisters! It's the Final Countdown!_"

"_Down to one! Down to one!_"

"_And then we can take the boy to Lady Yuyuko!_"

I really wanted those Prismrivers to shut up.

"Kyon, we're gonna-"

The broom jolted, sideswiped by one of the Prismriver's danmaku, and it knocked me off. Marisa grabbed my arm almost instantly - she had quick reflexes! I dangled there for a while, the shots _whooshing_ by me. I yelled in terror.

"_Don't let go of me!_"

"Hold on!"

She swung me a bit, then flung me in front of her. I landed on the broom, facing her and shaking. She gave me a smile, and placed her head on my shoulder so she could see where she was going. I stared behind us, at the massive amount of homing danmaku that was following us, and couldn't help but hold onto Marisa a bit tighter.

Marisa rose straight up, narrowly avoiding the shots by the Prismrivers, each one zipping by us by mere millimeters. Marisa rose, and rose, way above the field of battle. She took a sharp turn down, the danmaku following us. Down, straight down into the pillar of golden light, as she threw a handful of cherry blossoms into the air.

[SPELL CARD: DREAM SIGN "DUPLEX BARRIER"]

_"Last one, Marisa! Do it now!"_

"_Okay, Kyon! This is it!"_

"_Oh geez!"_

We were diving straight down. The barrier let us into the pillar, and we were racing down at top speed.

"_Barrier_...aaaaaaaannnnnd-"

"_This is nuts, Marisa! This is just plain nuts!_"

[TaBoO SpElL cArD: "PoLaRiTy ReVeRsE"]

She hit it right as we got to them, in the little space between the sisters. Black and white stars were left in our trail, colliding with the inside of the barrier, managing to shake the pillar of light, causing it to hit the homing danmaku. The pillar changed color, as did any Prismriver danmaku that came close to the stars.

We pulled up right before we hit the ground. The spell card and the barrier...

"Reversed the polarity of the danmaku! _Boom_, da ze!"

For some reason, that sounded like some convenient plot hole cop out, but I wasn't complaining. Nor was I crying foul over their illegal spell card we just broke.

The Prismrivers were showered in their own danmaku within the pillar. They dodged, but...well, what they yelled aloud kind of explains what happened.

"_What!_"

"_No!_"

"_Our instruments!_"

_So_ much like an anime.

The field was clear of any of their shots, their barrier broken. They floated there, staring down at their broken instruments, wide-eyed and amazed. Sakuya, Reimu, and Marisa went up to meet them, after I was able to reposition myself on the broom.

The sisters gazed at each other, and then at their opponents. Lunasa clenched her fists and pointed at us.

"This doesn't change anything! We can still take you-"

Merlin was hit with a barrage of knives, knocking her into one of the pillars. She screamed for a while before she just collapsed in a heap on the platform.

"_Merlin!_"

Lyrica was the next to get hit, the lasers spinning her in place, and she, too, fell to the platform.

"_Lyri-Lyrica!_"

A horrified Lunasa looked back up, to all of us. Reimu tapped her gohei on her shoulder as she neared the phantom.

"Use a taboo spell card on me, will you? Only one person is allowed to do that! And you aren't her!"

Sakuya turned to Reimu, about to say something, but didn't. She instead had a little smile.

"Well, girls," said Sakuya as all three of them converged on the lone Prismriver. "What do we do with this inhospitable host of ours?"

"Hit her with your spell cards at the same time?" I suggested.

All four girls turned to me, Lunasa the only one not smiling, the only one who started to cry.

I know I should feel bad about suggesting it, but I didn't.

[SPELL CARD: LOVE SIGN "MASTER SPARK"]

[SPELL CARD: ILLUSION SIGN "KILLING DOLL"]

[SPELL CARD: SPIRIT SIGN "FANTASY SEAL ~ CONCENTRATE"]

Ouch.

The force of the combined attacks pretty much pinned Lunasa to the gate. She was stuck up there for a few seconds before she kind of peeled off and fell to the floor.

Yep, just like an anime.

"Well, now, see what happens when we work together, ze?"

"'Work together'? That was mostly you, Marisa! Remiu and I were just spamming our barrier spell cards!"

"...Sakuya, did you just call me 'Reimu' instead of 'Red-White'?"

"...did you just call me 'Sakuya' instead of 'Maid'?"

"Did Kyon just face death without copping a feel?"

We all turned to Marisa. _Really? We were having a nice touching moment and you say that? _ She grinned at all of us.

"...yeah. Yeah, that sounded a lot funnier in my own head, ze. Sorry. And the answer is no."

I felt the heat rise in my face, not wanting to scream the following:

_That has nothing to do with the situation! And I didn't cop a feel! My hand slipped!_

Which it did.

At first anyways.

I know. I am ashamed of myself.

The Prismrivers were gathering pieces of their broken instruments. We landed, and they stared at us for a bit, before kneeling. Merlin was the first to speak.

"Such...superior opponents."

Lyrica nodded in agreement.

"We would like to write songs about you four."

I rolled my eyes at this incredibly cheesy line, as Lunasa shook Reimu's hand.

"I do apologize. But we had orders to stop any intruders. We do have to serve our master after all."

Reimu looked back at Sakuya, and then at Lunasa.

"...It's...yeah, it's understandable. You're defending what you believe in."

Lunasa nodded.

"So, any chance of you opening the door, ze?"

"Actually, the door is broken. We just fly through the rift."

I couldn't help but bring the palm of my hand to my forehead, and I had to struggle not to start yelling.

"...so, wait. Let me get this straight, girls. We could have just skipped this entire battle by just going in there?"

The Prismrivers glanced at each other then back at me, Lunasa answering.

"Uhm...maybe. If we didn't see you enter, then, yeah."

_Someone just give me some sedatives. I want to lie down._

"But you sure you want to go in there?"

"We told you, we need to return Spring."

The sisters glanced at each other again. Lunasa sighed.

"Well, you won. We can't stop you. But the gardener will."

My mind went back to the figure in the rift. When I looked back up, it was gone.

Someone had to be watching us battle. And they just did their recon.

They knew we were coming.

* * *

Ran gave what she could. She had to. But she made it a point to Aya that she couldn't print most of what she was saying, that this would be for her boss Tengu to know. She explained it the way her master explained it. In the end, Aya was wide-eyed.

"So, Whiterock isn't...wow. Can't even use this for my newspaper, because I don't think anyone would believe such a thing. All a little girl?"

Ran just nodded.

"That's what my mistress told me. It's what I was supposed to do in a few days anyways, telling the tengu the situation. Because you guys are naturally nosey."

"Ayayaya. Well, that's true. But what a story. I still can't get over-"

Aya tilted her head, stopping mid-sentence. She was silent for a while. Did the Tengu hear something? Ran couldn't hear anything but the storm.

"What is it?"

"...Sounds like...no...did a large house just collapse?"

* * *

"My lady?"

The woman in the light blue kimono turned to her gardener.

"Yes, Youmu?"

"The boy is being brought here."

"Oh, that is great news! Did the Prismrivers capture him?"

"No...that's not it." Youmu paused. "You see...there are invaders. They wish to take back the spring we have collected. The Prismrivers have been defeated by them."

"Ah. That may be a problem then."

"Not to worry, my lady. I've watched how they fought. And they are bringing the boy with them, directly to us."

The woman had a cheerful expression after hearing that.

"Oh, how nice of them to deliver him! Saves us the trouble of going after him." The woman smiled again, looking up at the tree. "Everything is finally going our way. We'll have the Saigyou Ayakashi blooming within the hour!"

* * *

Alice sat in her home, staring into the fireplace. She kept berating herself for breaking down like she did. But Reimu...she was just too powerful. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair.

_Giving up my humanity to beat her...and it still wasn't enough._

Absent-mindedly, her fingers were moving. Her dolls were coming to life, gathering around. A Shanghai doll reached up to her, as if to offer a hug. Alice looked down on it and smiled.

"Ah...yeah. You're right. It'll be just fine..."

She reached down and hugged the doll with one arm, her other arm's fingers twitching, giving the doll movement. It wrapped its arms around Alice and gave her a kiss.

In the back of her mind, she knew that she was the one controlling the dolls. That they weren't really comforting her, that she was doing this herself. But she didn't mind. She didn't mind that she would argue with them, have them argue with her, when in reality it was all inside her own head. She just didn't care.

Alice smiled as she looked back down to the gathering of dolls.

"Okay, guys. Let's get dinner ready."

A pounding sounded in the room - the door was being knocked on.

Alice looked up, wide-eyed. Visitors? Nobody ever came to visit her!

She sat there stunned, unable to determine whether she did indeed hear that, or had she finally lost it.

The door was knocked on again.

Somebody _was_ at the door. After putting the Shanghai doll on the table, Alice got up and adjusted her dress the best she could, despite the burn-marks and tearing. She still hadn't changed since her battle with that magician Marisa, who seemed friendly enough even though she appeared to have forgotten her. She had promised to come visit Alice sooner or later, but Alice didn't want to hold her to her word and end up disappointed.

Again, more door-knocking.

"I'll be right there!"

Those four couldn't be back already, could they? And the snow storm couldn't be affecting them since they are above the clouds.

"Maybe Reimu came back to apologize. Yeah, like that'll ever happen."

Opening the door, and before she could even let out a sound, Alice was immediately swept into the snowstorm by an ice cold vengeful force. The force extinguished the fire, and knocked over all the dolls.

The doll that hugged Alice shattered its head on impact.

* * *

-begin-

Losing control over Tool LETTY WHITEROCK.

Will condition further.

-end-

* * *

**Aya is such a fun character. And she actually did follow the heroine of Perfect Cherry Blossom throughout the day, stopping when they reached the point depicted. She has interviewed a whole slew of characters in the series from Touhou 6 onward, and really does give you insight on the people of Gensokyo. Aya is a good person, it's just that her obsession is pretty much journalism, and competing with the other tengu to have a superior newspaper (Tengu -love- gossip, so they turned that into a business). **

**She also has two official Touhou games in which she's the star - Shoot the Bullet and Double Spoiler. Basically, she's taking pictures of the Danmaku patterns shot at her. Fun games, just very tough, since your only means of defending yourself is a camera that eats up the enemy shots that are in the pictures you take. Though the fact that she really is the fastest person in Gensokyo kind of helps with that.**


	8. ICB Episode 8 Cut

**Interesting Trivia: the creators of Churuya (Tsuruya's smoked-cheese obsessed chibi-version), circle Utsura Uraraka and artist "Eretto", have done a number of Touhou Doujins as well in the same style, as well as other Haruhi Doujins.**

**A connection that the Haruhi Suzumiya series has with Touhou Project. That fandom again.**

**And yes, Another Duck, Lilly White should have been there...if things were still going along the normal timeline...remember, according to the Touhou Wiki, the events of PCB took place on March 21st, 2004. And yet, there they are, April 2nd.**

**It's almost as if someone is...interfering...with events.**

**The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is owned by Nagaru Tanigawa. Touhou Project is owned by ZUN and Team Shanghai Alice. I own neither. This is a fan fiction of those works.**

**Beta Readers for this Episode(Alphabetical Order):**

**Serendipital**

**superstarultra**

* * *

Koakuma walked down the hallway, humming a tune to herself. She stretched as she paused at a window, gazing out at the snowstorm. _Really coming down out there. Lady Patchouli and Miss Sakuya were right - this winter has gone on far too long. I'm lucky I'm inside. I'm lucky I have a roof over my head. And I'm lucky I got friends in here, too._

The Assistant Librarian smiled, already looking forward to the warm meal she prepared for herself and Lady Patchouli. Right before she turned to fetch her master, she caught a glimpse of someone in the reflection. She whipped around, and saw in the shadows a girl with long black hair. Koakuma stared at her, her body tensing.

"..,Y-you..." Koakuma stammered, "w-who are you? You aren't supposed to be here!"

The girl stared back with no emotion. She wore all black, and had _really_ long hair that went down to her ankles. The two stared at each other for a minute, the experience unnerving Koakuma. She could tell that something was not right about this, that this girl was bad news. Koakuma was worried that she would have to fight, but the girl instead darted down the hallway, and around the corner. She was fast - faster than a human. Koakuma reluctantly gave chase, shouting out, "H-hey! Guards! Someone's in here!"

When she turned the corner, Koakuma didn't see the girl anymore.

_Who was that?!_

* * *

Meiling couldn't believe it. She had heard about a possible intruder, and was called over there when her gate shift was done to check out a noise. Someone had thought they heard glass shattering.

She entered the room, expecting an intruder, but saw the cracks on the glass, and the cracking of the wall above. Those cracks quickly spread to the ceiling, and to the rest of the walls. The structure began to groan and shake.

Meiling was horrified.

"Oh, crap."

_Need to get everyone out of here._

Meiling ran, shouting to the mob of servants that had gathered to see what was going on.

"_Move, move, move!_"

* * *

The east wing was collapsing. More servants were lost. They had thought they had repaired it, reinforced it with magic, but the snowstorm had gotten worse than anyone could have ever predicted. A lone fairy maid ran towards Meiling from down a hallway as she was directing servants where to run to.

"Wait! Please! Wait!"

Meiling turned, seeing that the hallway was collapsing around the fairy. The chief guard ran towards the maid, shooting away some of the falling debris with some of her magic. A beam came down, right for the fairy. _This is gonna be close!_ She did a sliding catch, holding up a beam that would have fallen on the poor maid.

"_Go! Now!_"

The fairy quickly nodded and ran. Meiling tried to get away, but more weight was added to the beam as the hallway continued to collapse around her. Clenching her teeth as her knees stressed to keep the weight up, she couldn't help but smile.

"Heh. So this is how it is then?"

_Survived Remilia. Survived Flan. Done in by a house. Isn't that just fine and dandy? At least I managed to save somebody._

"Meiling!"

Koakuma appeared from around the corner. Using her magical power, she shot off some of the debris off of the beam, alleviating the weight for a microsecond. It was all Meiling needed as she dashed from under the beam and ran, the beam barely missing her as it almost instantly came back down. The hallway followed suit within seconds.

"_Move!_"

* * *

Remilia sipped her tea in her throne room, the roar of her mansion collapsing, echoing, shaking the chandelier above. The vampire let out a sigh. She was wrong about the long winter not being a problem, and she _hated_ being wrong. It was all she could do to keep herself composed. She felt the anger within herself, but she kept it at bay.

The roaring had stopped, replaced by the sound of the snowstorm outside. She could still hear yelling, screaming from within the mansion. She sensed the lives lost, the beating hearts stopping, more of her servants gone. She clenched her jaw because she knew what was coming, again dreading hearing the numbers. Remilia put down her tea, and closed her eyes. It wasn't long before someone showed up.

Two quick knocks on the door.

"Enter."

Remilia didn't open her eyes as the fairy maid quickly entered.

"Mistress Re-"

Remilia cut her off, narrowly opening her eyes.

"How many?"

The fairy maid couldn't answer - it seemed that she was a bit stunned at Remilia's bluntness. Inwardly, the vampire sighed as she closed her eyes again.

_They can call me an ice-hearted bitch for all I care. I still have to remain composed. I have to set the example. I am the head of this mansion. They look to __**me**__ for guidance._

"I asked how many."

"We...can't account for fifty..."

It seemed the maid was reluctant. The fairy swallowed hard, obviously tense.

"You can spit it out, can't you?" Remilia hastily said. "How many are missing?"

"...Fifty...including Lady Patchouli."

Remilia's eyes opened - she felt the blood in her face drain, felt an icy feeling shoot through her body.

_No...it can't be... The library and her room are in the west wing...but...where's her heartbeat? Her familiar heartbeat..._

_She's not in the west wing._

Remilia sat there in silence.

"...Mistress?"

"You may go now."

The maid quickly exited. Remilia sat there, blinking a few times, her grip on the armrests tightening. Her mind went back to what Patchouli said the day before:

_"The snow storms are actually getting worse, Remi..."_

_She told me. She told me, damn it._

Remilia snatched up her tea cup and threw it at the wall. The pitiful shatter didn't satisfy her.

Neither did the next few minutes of screaming obscenities and tearing up the room.

* * *

******Imperfect Cherry Blossom**

**E****pisode 8**

**["Cut"]**

* * *

**=Spirit Battle on the Staircase of Hakugyokurou=**

_**"The girl lived in the world after death.**_

_**She was half-phantom and half-human..."**_

**Touhou 7, Perfect Cherry Blossom - Stage 5**

* * *

Meiling had moved fast. As soon as the collapse was finished, she stopped running away, and ran back. She made it to the new outside, an alien outside created by the collapse. It wasn't the whole east wing, thankfully, but a good portion of it, at least a third. She lifted a few pieces out of the way, calling out to anyone beneath it all. Lifting a wall, she found a fairy maid, barely alive. She called out for someone to get her out of there. The small contingent of fairy guards began to pour out of the mansion, determined to help their chief, as did the fairy maids. They got that injured fairy out of there, and Meiling dropped the wall.

_One saved. Need to save more._

She stared out to the wreckage. The snow was piling on the debris, already burying the pieces. Meiling took a deep breath, trying not to lose heart. Finding anybody under all that was going to be a nightmare, especially since the storm was dulling her senses.

_Can't think about that. Get out there, damn it. You're supposed to protect everyone in this mansion. It's your purpose._

She steeled herself, determined to save more, despite the wind picking up, the storm getting even heavier. She focused, ignoring the icy sting on her skin as the blizzard continued its assault.

_I'm not gonna give up. Hang on, everybody._

* * *

We were before the rift. Marisa tried moving near it, but it caused a lot of turbulence, so we backed off a bit. What kind of disturbed me was that when we got close, the light from within seemed to reach out to us. I didn't think we were quite ready to go to the afterlife yet. Man, I still can't believe I was there, right in front of a way into the realm of the dead.

Part of me didn't want to go in. Part of me was curious, wanting to actually see the afterlife for myself. I mean, after all, it's the afterlife.

Reimu was interrogating the Prismrivers.

"So...what's exactly on the other side?"

"Hakugyokurou, the realm of the dead reserved for artists," said Lunasa.

"And it has the best cherry blossoms in existence!" Merlin added.

"It's so beautiful there," chirped Lyrica.

Reimu nodded, closing her eyes. She knew we weren't going to get much else from them about that, it seemed. Even when we asked about the "Essence of Spring", they didn't offer much than a vague meaning. I guessed Reimu wasn't going to ask any more questions, so I asked one instead.

"So what're your stories?"

"Hmm? Us?"

"Yeah. What happened? You ghosts have an amazing talent for music. That is, when you're not trying to kill people."

_Namely us._

Merlin twirled her curly hair, giving me a small grin.

"Well, we're not ghosts, per se. We're phantom copies."

"'Phantom copies'? What's that supposed to mean?"

Lunasa, the obvious leader of the group, smiled a rather sad smile.

"We had a fourth sister, Layla. Apparently, our father died, and our original selves went our separate ways. Layla stayed behind, unable to leave the family home, and, well, she missed having a family. Eventually she cast a spell, creating us. We were perfect copies of her sisters as she remembered them, and we lived with her until she died."

"And your original selves?"

"Oh, they died a long time ago as well. But eventually we too had to leave the family home, and wandered for a bit. That is, until we came across Lady Yuyuko."

_That's...that's actually kind of sad, really. Wow. Everyone in here has a story to tell. Those unaccepted by the outside world..._

Hearing that name again, Reimu tilted her head.

"Yeah, you mentioned her earlier. Who is she?"

Merlin, picking up a piece of her broken trumpet, glanced up.

"She is the mistress of Hakugyokurou, for as long as anyone up there can remember."

Lunasa nodded. "Yeah, I think like a thousand years."

This time Sakuya asked a question.

"But why has she stolen spring from Gensokyo if Hakugyokurou is already famous for its cherry blossoms?"

The sisters shrugged.

"We don't know."

That was Merlin. She then stared at Lyrica, as if silently asking if she knew anything else.

"Maybe to...increase the quality of the flower viewing?" Lyrica shrugged back, unable to give anything more than that. Lunasa pursed her lips before giving us their apparent final answer.

"We're sorry, but we just serve her, and she kept us in the dark about this stuff, which is actually unusual. We haven't seen her act like this for the whole time we've known her. But the gardener would know more."

And with that, the Prismrivers went back to salvaging their instruments. The four of us looked at each other, and back at the rift. Sakuya wiped the sweat from her forehead, the light warmth that was seeping from the rift hitting us.

"Well, now," Sakuya said deadpanned, "if you woke me up this morning and told me I would be in the afterlife by nightfall, I would have said you were crazy...and possibly slashed your throat."

_Yeah, that's nice to hear. _ But again, I was thankful that she's on my side. I stared at the rift for a while before speaking.

"Can't believe this is for real. A way into the afterlife."

I saw Reimu nod in agreement before she ran her fingers through her hair, letting out a sigh.

"Yeah, I know. And we gotta go in there."

Marisa nervously chuckled before answering.

"Yeppers, ze."

"And if the Ice-Bi..." Sakuya paused. I could see that she was still angry over the fact that we had Whiterock earlier and didn't do anything. "If that yuki-onna was right about Yuyuko's power-"

Reimu cut off Sakuya. I, for one, wasn't liking the maid's tone either - it was obvious she was beginning to have a little doubt. However, it didn't help that Reimu was apprehensive about it as well.

"She was just trying to psyche us out, I hope."

As the girls spoke, I shut my eyes taking that all in. To tell the truth, it felt like we were nearing the end of a video game, where we knew that the final boss was around the corner somewhere. But this final boss, and the power she was said to have...I couldn't help but let out a sigh myself, the fear in the pit of my stomach forming.

"How in the world can we stand against something like _that_? Killing us by merely willing it?"

"She's in Gensokyo. She has to apply to the rules of Danmaku."

"And if she doesn't? Reimu, if she doesn't?"

Reimu closed her eyes, her face understandably serious. She knew the implications. How anyone could not fear such a thing would make them completely insane.

"Then we're all in _very_ big trouble."

_That's an understatement. The only hope we have of winning this is a mere game. Because otherwise, we show up, drop dead, and game over._ I started to appreciate the game of Danmaku. Besides being pretty, and awesome to watch, it really gave everyone a chance to win against those vastly stronger than them.

"Well, if we die," Sakuya scoffed, "we won't have far to go to enjoy the afterlife, because we'll already be in it."

I guess that was some form of cold comfort, even if Sakuya blatantly forced herself into saying it. I don't know if it was for her sake or for ours. Marisa took out a flask and took a swig from it. She handed it to me.

"A little mushroom vodka. Might take the edge off."

I stared at her for a second, before staring at the flask.

"You know, you shouldn't be driving. Or flying. Or whatever. And no thanks. And is everything mushrooms with you?"

She cracked a smile.

"You know it! And suit yourself if you don't want any, ze. You gotta learn to trust the fungus, Kyon."

_Considering you said that they could be hallucinogenic, I'll pass._

She offered it to Reimu and Sakuya, who each did take a bit. I could tell they didn't like the taste. After smacking her lips to get rid of the taste, Sakuya spoke up.

"Well, we ready?"

The miko nodded, the steeled gaze returning to her eyes.

"This has to be done. Winter has gone on for too long, Kyon needs to get back home...and people are dying down there. We need to do this. But..."

She turned to us.

"If you want to turn back now, now's the time. I won't blame you."

That was out of nowhere. _Seriously, we came all this way. Then again, we didn't really have an idea of what we might be facing at the end of this adventure._

Sakuya stared at Reimu like she was crazy.

"I came this far, Reimu. I'm not turning back now."

"Well, I wouldn't blame you if you did."

Sakuya rolled her eyes before closing them and pinching the bridge of her nose, clearly annoyed by that.

"Look. This winter has claimed some of my maids, and I've expressed my concerns with Milady. She has _ordered_ me to end this, and I will follow those orders."

A small smile crept on Sakuya's face as her eyes opened and met with Reimu's.

"What about _you_? Do _you_ want to turn back, miko?"

It was Reimu's turn to roll her eyes.

"Ugh. You still don't get it, do you? I'm the Hakurei shrine maiden. I resolve the incidents of Gensokyo. It's my _obligation_ to do this. _My _bloodline. _My _purpose."

The two stared at each other, I guess waiting for the other to say something. I broke the uneasy silence.

"Uh, Marisa? What about you?"

"Huh? What?"

"Do you want to turn back now?"

She flashed me a huge grin.

"Kyon, I got nothing better to do today, ze. So _of course_ I'm going in there. What about you?"

"I need to see this through. Whiterock got me involved, so I'm going to see this through."

Truth is, part of me wanted to stay out there on the platform, away from all of that. But what I said was true. Being _used_ like that just pissed me off. I mean, yeah, I knew that if I helped out Sakuya, then the Scarlet Devil Mansion would work on getting me home, but I really did need to end this incident.

_How dare you, Whiterock. How dare you do that to me._

Reimu loudly spoke, her voice a bit commanding.

"Okay, enough chitchat! Let's do this!"

A sense of unease overtook me as we approached the rift, and the air started to shudder around us, trying to push us back. The broom shook and jolted everywhere, making it tougher to hang on. Letting out a quick sigh, Reimu went in first, disappearing into the light.

_This is for real. We're going in there. Ah, man, this feels like being next in line for an intimidating roller coaster!_

Sakuya followed, and her body disappeared into the light as well. Marisa shot me a glance, an unsure smile on her face.

"Yo - we ready?"

I didn't verbally answer her. I simply looked back out to the expanse of clouds that laid beneath the floating platform. The snowstorm roared, like a hungry monster. I felt the anger over whoever was doing this - whomever stole spring for themselves. What a selfish act, and childish, too. Like a villian from a children's storybook - someone being selfish and childish and stupid and all that. Wanting spring all to themselves.

Then again, I would find out the real reason behind it all in just a short while. But I'm getting ahead of myself here.

I gave Marisa a nod, and we went towards the tear. The light enveloped us, warm, greeting. The air pressure increased, making my ears pop a bit.

* * *

It was dark, a blue light barely giving us visibility. Fog everywhere, and a huge stone staircase. There was an unnerving silence to the place, where every sound we made was amplified and you could hear a faint echo. At the top of the long staircase was a light that invited us towards it.

This was the afterlife. I was in the afterlife. And it began with a literal staircase into the heavens. Imagine that.

I was seeing it with my own eyes. There _is_ somewhere to go after one dies. The full implications of that would not hit me until much later.

"Wow."

"We're in the afterlife and all you can say is 'wow'?"

_Sakuya, I've been through a lot in the past year that has made me question reality on more than one occasion, not counting what's been going on with me for the past twenty-four or so hours. Forgive me for being burned out._

I even told her as such.

"I'm just kind of overwhelmed and a bit burned out. The last two days have been a whirlwind for me. Fairies, vampires, witches, you being a time-stopper, magicians, phantoms and ghosts...and not to mention what's happening to me. So much has happened."

"Still not over yet!"

"That's the problem."

We had some time to kill flying up that large staircase, and we were taking it a bit slow, because of the fog and all. Marisa and I were at the front on the broom, me lighting the way with the flashlight. I had this feeling that we were being watched by something from within the fog, as did Reimu, so we didn't want any surprises. That was pretty much confirmed when we heard someone speaking from within the fog. It was hard to hear, but I think it said "come closer and I'll behead you all."

I hoped I misheard that.

Another thing to note here - ghosts were passing by us on the sides, not attacking, just...heading up, up into the afterlife. I wondered who these artists were that died, and were making their way to their final destination.

It was taking a while of going up the staircase, and since we weren't being attacked, I told the girls the story of when I was at the end of the world with Haruhi. Sakuya heard it a bit at dinner the day prior, but I went into detail. Reimu's eyes were widened by the end.

"So what did you do?"

"Well, I just kissed her."

Reimu's dumbstruck face was priceless. Made me wish I had a camera.

"...What?"

"I kissed her, then I woke up in bed. I thought it was all just a dream, but when I went to school, she was wearing a ponytail. Koizumi then told me that it did in fact happen, as did Nagato and Asahina."

Marisa chuckled a bit.

"Heh. Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. You were given such obvious clues, ze. I'm kind of disappointed it took you that long to figure that one out. Then again, it took you a while to figure out Haruhi likes you."

_Don't insult me, Marisa. I don't know about you, but it was my first end of the world. And whether Haruhi likes me or not is none of your business, is it?_

Sakuya smiled a rather dreamy smile, shaking her head. A little sparkle in her eyes shined.

"Such a simple act. And how romantic, in a way - a kiss saving the world. Too bad Haruhi thinks it was only a dream."

Didn't figure Sakuya to be into the romantic stuff. Reimu nodded a bit before giving her thoughts.

"Yeah, but if she found out that it wasn't a dream, then it would have caused more problems. I have to say, Kyon, your three friends and their organizations are justified in doing what they are doing. They need to keep the girl placid. I mean think about it. If the outside world disappeared, would Gensokyo disappear as well? That is, if she is what she is. Either way, wow, Sakuya's right - it's a bit romantic. The world ending around you, and you kiss her. That saves the world."

"So, Kyon," Marisa quipped. "How was it?"

I didn't understand what she meant by what she said, so it took me a few seconds to respond.

"Uhm, what? How was what?"

She shot me a "are you serious" glance.

"Damn. You _are_ dense."

_Screw you, Marisa._

"How was the kiss?"

For that, I kept silent. Besides, it wasn't something I really felt like talking about. Apparently, Marisa found my silence to be her answer, as she turned back to face the front.

"That good, huh? Heh."

I'm glad she didn't turn around. My red face would have given it away. Thinking about it now though, yeah. It was a good kiss, I suppose. As good as kisses can get when the world is ending around you.

We didn't say anything for a while after that story. Out of nowhere, Marisa started talking again. Made me wonder - was she afraid of silence or something? Pressure of speech and whatnot?

"You know, I wish you two didn't give Reimu such a hard time. She's not really like this, you know."

Annoyed, Reimu responded.

"Marisa..."

The witch ignored her as she continued.

"Really, she's only like this when she's out resolving incidents or dealing with youkai, ze. She's actually one of the laziest persons I've ever met."

"Marisa!"

The witch pointed a finger up in the air, waving it, to emphasize what she was saying. I think she was enjoying this, because her voice got louder, to make sure we heard it. Marisa was obviously giving Reimu a hard time.

"We just spend our days lazing around her shrine, talking about unimportant stuff, doing nothing, drinking. If it weren't for incidents like this, she would never get around Gensokyo, ze. She doesn't like doing her job as a miko, even. Hell - she won't even leave her house. It's tragic, really."

That sounded somewhat like the S.O.S. Brigade. We, or actually, I, would just sit around that club room, and unless something interesting happened to get me up and about...wow. They're like me. Or I'm like them. Doing nothing when not fixing the world. Maybe I was reading too much into that. But then again, I actually do leave my house, so I suppose I have that one up on Reimu.

Reimu flew ahead of Marisa and glared at the witch, arms crossed, obviously pissed off. She glanced at Sakuya before continuing her stare down of her friend.

"Well," Marisa smirked as she rubbed the back of her neck. "I just don't want them to think you're a bad person, ze. You're not. A little lazy, but not a bad person."

I heard Sakuya give a little giggle before Reimu spoke.

"Marisa, it doesn't really matter what they think of me - "

_I think you're lying a bit there._

" - I'm just doing what I was born to do."

By then I think I'd given up on really trying to keep them from arguing with each other, so I said the following somewhat half-heartedly.

"Girls, can we have a change of subject? I'd rather you didn't tear each other apart when there are things out there that would gladly do it for free."

Sakuya chuckled, crossing her arms.

"No, please. Marisa, continue. So tell me more about Reimu here. Something I don't know."

The miko shot a nasty look at the maid as the witch happily replied to Sakuya's request.

"For one thing, Reimu only gained the ability to fly before the Scarlet Mist Incident. Before that, she rode on a flying turtle."

Sakuya and I glanced at each other, our eyebrows raised, before looking at Reimu, who was wide-eyed. _Flying turtle? Did I hear that correctly?_

"Red-White, you rode on a flying turtle?"

I saw Marisa shrug.

"Don't knock it. Sad part is, she still whooped my butt in Danmaku battles with that turtle, ze. 'Oh' for three. I've never beaten her."

I held back on laughing at that, not wanting to offend Marisa. Reimu's face, however, was as red as her outfit.

"_Okay! Change of subject!_...the...the spring. Kyon, those Prismrivers talked about the essence of spring within you, so, uh, is that what this is all about? Alice talked about it, but...what does it really mean?"

The witch shook her head, holding back at laughing. Sakuya had a big grin, and shook her head as well before speaking, giving Reimu the change in subject she wanted.

"Well, Lady Patchouli thought it was magical, maybe it's nature itself? She said it was a vast amount of power, or was it just simply a different type? She herself didn't truly know. Kyon?"

I considered giving Reimu a hard time, but I let it go.

"Well, I don't know, I'm not even going to venture to guess what it really is," I said. "I leave that sort of thinking to Koizumi, really. He usually takes the time to sit down and explain his theories on what's happening." I paused, then muttered. "I'd say it saves me a lot of headaches, but it sometimes causes me more."

Marisa turned her head to me, grinning.

"Heh, sounds like a good friend, ze. But anyways, that barrier's power. Well, like I said, it's very unusual. If I had to make a guess, it borders the line between magic, and...something I can't describe."

Marisa let her face get more serious, as she was obviously thinking hard on this matter.

"Something more powerful...power...blessed...possibly holy power?"

"Well," I said, "I think that was what Reimu said it probably was."

Reimu put her hands on her hips, appearing insulted.

"It's not 'probably', Kyon. I know it is."

_All right. Fine. Take it easy._

"Lady Patchouli said it hasn't been seen since the end of a monastery."

Marisa turned her head to Sakuya, confused, at least what I could see of her face from the back of her broom.

"'End of a monastery?' What's that supposed to mean, ze?"

"Lady Patchouli said that a youkai wiped out a monastery a long time ago, a thousand years. Though if it _is_ holy power as Reimu suggested, then it really can't be copied by Milady or Lady Patchouli. They tend to specialize in the darker arts."

Hmm. Bad guys as good guys. The Scarlet Devil Mansion sure was interesting. I couldn't help but wonder how they were doing back in the realm of the living as I gave my thoughts on this. You know, usually I'm the one who had to ask questions, but at that point, things were beginning to fall into place. Some of these things were making sense in a way, becoming clear.

"But for it to come from the cherry blossoms that are coming from the afterlife, well, it makes no sense unless..." I paused for a few seconds, thinking. _Monastery. A youkai wiped out a monastery a thousand years ago, and I'm having a barrier of some kind that was used by said monastery activate on me when I collect cherry blossoms. The barrier has not been seen since that time...which means only those from that place knew how to make it. But what does that mean then? Someone up here is from...is that it? _ "Is there a connection we're not getting here? Someone from the monastery has to be up here as well..." Another pause, as I rubbed my chin. "That's the only way I see it working, right?"

Marisa glanced back at me, giving me a nod.

"I guess that makes sense. Yeah. That's the only way that makes sense."

From ahead of us, there came a voice, I think the same voice I heard from before - about the beheading.

"Ah, the boy. Just who I needed. I shall drain every drop of spring from him!"

A Japanese teenage-looking girl, wearing a dark green skirt, a white shirt, a dark green vest, and with shortly cut silver hair (with a black ribbon and hair band), stared down at us from above with her steel blue eyes. She appeared to be about my age. She had two sheathed katanas - one long, one short, and what looked like a formless ghost that was hanging around her, sometimes wrapping around her body.

This girl was actually quite pretty, in the same way Nagato was. Heck, she pretty much had Nagato's petite body type. She also seemed very mysterious, especially since she had that ghost with her.

Marisa tilted her hat in a greeting.

"So I take it you're the gardener, ze?"

The girl locked her eyes with mine for a few seconds, before staring at my companions, her emotion unchanging.

"Give me the boy."

_I'd rather you didn't have me. However, I do want to ask this: why am I in a situation where pretty girls want me, but I have to say no? Oh, right, their master can will people to death. Ah, well, just my luck I guess._ And what lousy luck, I might add.

The gardener drew her short katana. The girls got ready for an attack, but the girl in green simply stayed above us. She then began to slash the air itself, leaving a visual ripple - the ripple solidifying and turning into danmaku, forming right above us. She did this mulitple times, put away her katana, and crossed her arms as it all rained down.

_You have got to be kidding me. Slashing the air?_ Well, anything can slash air. It's just that I don't know how to really describe what she did.

[SPELL CARD: DREAM SIGN "DUPLEX BARRIER"]

[SPELL CARD: LOVE SIGN "MASTER SPARK"]

We glanced back up as the danmaku dissipated from Reimu and Marisa's attacks. The gardener was gone from her location - we saw her outline in the mist further up the stairs. We heard her call out to us.

"Just leave the boy here and you can all go. It'll be much easier that way."

_Why am I so special?_

I think Sakuya got fed up with all of this. We started early in the morning, after all, and our overall progress was slow. Hell, I was a bit fed up, too. I mean, I was frozen that day.

"I'm getting tired of this!"

She flew ahead, yelling out.

"_Come on out, Gardener!_"

We followed close behind, ascending the staircase. It was quickly getting warmer and brighter as we went up. Reimu wiped her brow and threw off her scarf.

"Feels just like how a spring day should feel."

_We're going the right way._

* * *

Mystia was washing her dishes when she looked up and out the window. Nothing but white. Annoyed with the way her windows fogged up easily, she wiped at them.

They didn't clear up. Still white. She swallowed hard, realizing that it wasn't fog.

_No...no please._

Sticking to the shadows, Mystia avoided her friends that were at the Kotatsu, and went checking the other windows. Only the main window near them wasn't fully covered. They didn't notice yet.

Going to the door, she tried it.

Snow rushed in when she opened it a bit, and even with her youkai strength, she had trouble closing the door. She backed away, sighing.

_Snowed in. We're snowed in._

Unless she broke through the main window, they'd be trapped.

Even if she did though, where would they go? All the other shelters surrounding them were snowed in as well. The nearest place would be the human village or the Scarlet Devil Mansion. And she doubted they would really be welcome at either place at a time like that.

Mystia did a mental check. _Have enough firewood for a few days, could start burning furniture if it gets beyond that. Food...it'd be enough for her alone for a few days. _But she had four other mouths to feed.

Stay in there, stay warm, but run out of food if it doesn't clear up. Go out, forgo warmth, take her chances out there.

Either way, high chance of...

_This is really, really...really bad._

* * *

The youkai woke up, sensing something. She heard voices, and could tell it was Yuyuko again.

_She's talking to the spring fairy...but what is she saying?_

She tried hard to make it out, but couldn't. Then, silence, silence in the house where she was held. She sensed the ghost mistress moving again, this time...

The door opened. The youkai stood up, but couldn't attack the ghost - she was too constrained to do anything, really. Yuyuko floated in, smiling.

"Have a nice nap, Miss Kazami?"

"I'd have a nicer nap if I was back down in Gensokyo among my flowers."

"Well, I am sorry. We needed your assistance. If you, the famous youkai Flower Master of the Four Seasons, Yuka Kazami, had assisted us more effectively by making the tree bloom-"

Yuka smirked.

"What if I told you that I never really tried?"

The ghost paused, smiling. The youkai grinned in defiance.

"What are you going to do, Yuyuko...kill me?"

Yuyuko kept smiling, tilting her head.

"No...I'm not a monster. I just need that tree to bloom again. And did I not say that if you and the spring fairy helped it bloom, you would be able to go home? I do intend on keeping my word, Miss Kazami."

Kazami nodded slowly, getting more and more angry by the minute. _Damn it. Lilly White needs to be down there, ending winter. And you're keeping her up here with me. And that tree..._

"You never spoke to that plant," Kazami said, "did you?"

"Excuse me?"

"I tried talking to it. And it responded."

The mistress of Hakugyokorou's eyebrows rose, but her smile remained the same.

"Oh, really? Humor me. What did it say?"

Kazami sighed, lowering her head as she began to pace in her room.

"That thing is a youkai. It has a conciousness...and I don't scare easily, mind you. But that thing...what it said to me just shook me to the core. I'm glad you haven't been able to awaken it, that you won't. Because even though it pains me to see a plant in a state like that...this is one time where I can make an exception. I hope you never get it to bloom."

Yuyuko's smile widened.

"Well, that 'hope' will be dispersed. We fixed the spring bleeding effect, and we now have enough spring coming to us to get it blooming again. You see, all the lost spring was gathering inside a young human male, and he's being brought to me as we speak."

Yuka stopped with her pacing, whipping her head up, scowling.

_If that thing wakes up..._

It took a minute for her to compose herself. Kazami did her best to smile back.

"Not that I care about a human, but what do you intend to do with the boy?"

"Sadly, I lack the means of extracting the essence of spring from a human, so I'm afraid that I'll have to kill him to get it out. The fairy could extract it, but she hasn't been cooperative as of late, so it seems that his fate is sealed. I don't wish to kill anybody, but I need to do this."

_You stupid bitch. You're gonna get us all killed just to satisfy your curiosity._

"Don't do this, Yuyuko. Don't do this."

Yuyuko turned and left, saying the following to her captive.

"It will be done, Miss Kazami. I will get the Saigyou Ayakashi to bloom, and then you can be sent home. It will all be over soon."

Yuka lowered her head, pissed off, but also afraid. That things that tree said...it tried to get into her mind, to get her to help it awaken, but she didn't want to - she resisted it. She scoffed as she sat down on the floor, closing her eyes to meditate. She allowed her mind to wander away from her situation, and she found herself thinking of the two humans who beat her. The only two humans who beat her.

Silly game, Danmaku, but it was enough to knock her out. She smiled as the thought crossed her mind that they were out there, possibly trying to find out the cause of the winter. Marisa Kirisame, and Reimu Hakurei. The only two humans who dared to take her on and actually win.

They _had_ to be out there. Had to be looking into this. It was the only thing Kazami could think of as she sat there, until she heard a noise.

_Is that Lilly White? Is she crying?_

* * *

We went up the staircase, Sakuya shouting at the gardener to come out.

The girl in green stepped out from the fog up ahead. She was pacing back and forth on one of the steps. Sakuya landed a few steps before her, quickly turning to us as we landed as well.

"This gardener is _mine_!"

She turned back to the girl, whose eyebrows raised in response to hearing that, obviously annoyed by what Sakuya said, but keeping her face rather unemotional.

"'Gardener'? I am not a mere gardener. I am Youmu Konpaku, personal attendant to Lady Yuyuko."

_So this is the second in command then? Semi-final boss?_

The gardener/swordswoman, Youmu, glared at each of us with narrowed eyes. Her tone was dead serious. Youmu kept pacing, keeping a hand on each of her sheathed blades, never taking her eyes off of us.

_I have to say - even though she appears to be not much older than me, she's intimidating, for a rather small-ish girl._

Sakuya cracked her knuckles, loosening up her body - it appeared she was itching for a fight.

"Finally, we've reached the source. It took us a whole day to get here."

"In coming here, humans, you have exercised great composure," said Youmu. She pointed up towards the light at the top of the stairs. "This is Hakugyokurou. The deceased live on in this place. Acting on the common sense of the living will land you all in a mess."

_Preaching to the choir here, gardener. I know common sense has no place in my life. After all, I'm flying around with a witch on a broom in a land of fantasy. Common sense dictates that isn't possible in the first place, yet here I am._

Sakuya shouted out at Youmu.

"The dead do not speak! Now, return the spring you stole!"

_What kind of line is "the dead do not speak"?_

Youmu paused before speaking, closing her eyes for a few seconds.

"Hold on a bit."

_I suppose that's as good a confession as we'll get for now._ Sakuya crossed her arms. She was obviously losing patience. And again, so was I. _Why is everyone so difficult in here? Oh, right. If it __**is**__ a world made by Haruhi, then I answered my own question._

"That's a little bit too long, and I don't care for your reasons!" Sakuya all but shouted. "I'll say it again - return our spring!"

Youmu kept pacing, apparently acting like she didn't hear Sakuya. For some reason, Konpaku kept her gaze on me. She then flatly spoke.

"Soon, the Saigyou Ayakashi will reach full bloom. That could never happen with a normal spring."

_What?! What did she say?! The Saigyou Ayakashi?!_

"I said I don't care."

That was Sakuya. At that point, I was in a bit of shock.

"The large amount of spring you brought here with the boy would bring the Saigyou Ayakashi to full bloom," Youmu said.

_What the hell. What the hell is this? _ I couldn't bring myself to speak. _No way. The papers... _I wasn't liking what this girl was saying. _Large essence of spring within me? This is the power I have?_ _And the Ayakashi!?_

Marisa tapped on my shoulder.

"Hey...hey Kyon, you all right?"

She showed concern, I guess noticing my reaction. All I could do was weakly nod at her. Reimu glanced at me, tilting her head.

"Spring...the Prismrivers said the same thing...no...can't be."

_Yeah...how can it be inside of me? Silly, right?_

Sakuya continued her shouting.

"Are you even listening to me? We've traveled through that cold only to find such a selfish idea!"

Youmu stopped her pacing and extended her right arm, referencing towards the end of the staircase.

"But it's warm here, isn't it?"

"That's enough already! Dead people have no mouths!"

"Indeed, dead people have no mouths. Perhaps I will consume the miniscule warmth of your spring, before consuming his."

Youmu said that pointing at me. Sakuya sighed, drawing her favorite utensils. Negotiating wasn't getting anywhere, so there was only one option, it seemed.

"I wonder, can my knives even cut such a ghost?"

_I hope they can, Sakuya. I hope this is all just a coincidence...and I hope we don't find out that __what this gardener is saying is true. But spring? Is this it? Is the spring of Gensokyo gathering in...no. That's stupid. How can the spring of this place be gathering inside of me? What am I, some container or something?_ _Nothing is special about me. Why me? I mean, I gather the cherry blossoms, yeah, but...Is that it?! But what does that mean then?!_

A world of making the impossible possible. Which would mean such an idea wasn't silly. It was plausible. _Do I have the spring of Gensokyo inside of my body?_

Youmu's eyebrows rose, as she went into the air. Sakuya followed. The three of us remaining on the ground took a few steps back. Youmu drummed her fingers on the handle of her sheathed katana, locking her eyes with her soon-to-be opponent.

"Cut. _Cut_? You think you can cut me, human, with those trinkets? Don't you know what I have in my possession? The katana lost in legend, owned by a powerful youkai who slaughtered all of her foes, feared by armies of men! My family acquired it, and we have used it to defend Hakugyokorou since then! _Do you not know the name of the blade you are about to be slain by?!"_

My heart skipped a beat as the gardener drew her katana almost instantly. If I blinked, I would have missed it. The blade was impressive - long, ornate near the handle, and it looked razor-sharp.

And it was a weapon wielded by an enemy.

_Why are there a lot of cutting implements in my life? Sakuya, I hope you know what you're doing here!_

"The things that can not be cut by the Roukanken katana," shouted Youmu, "forged by youkai..._are close to none_!"

She didn't waste any time using a spell card.

[SPELL CARD: HELL REALM SWORD "200 YOJANA IN 1 SLASH"]

Large purple and white danmaku appeared behind Youmu and rained down on Sakuya. She slashed the air, though if you blinked, again, you would have missed it. The distortion of the slash created some more shots, which targeted Sakuya along with the larger ones. Sakuya tried attacking, but Youmu's other hand reached for her smaller sword, and yet again, in the blink of an eye (_Why is she that fast?) _she slashed away any knives that came even remotely close to her. Youmu's blades were breaking up the knife danmaku Sakuya was firing.

_Another question here: why is this gardener a master swordswoman? Then again, the gardener of the Scarlet Devil Mansion is very deadly as well. Is this a recurring theme in Gensokyo? If you deal with flowers, you're a badass?_

The spell card exhausted due to Sakuya's dodging, Youmu shot out two columns of dense danmaku, leaving space in the middle. Sakuya had to go there.

"Just where I wanted you."

Youmu moved fast at the maid, swinging her blade.

[SPELL CARD: TIME SIGN "PRIVATE SQUARE"]

Youmu backed up, not wanting to get fried by the barrier Sakuya erected.

"Not bad!"

She continued backing up, slashing away at the knife danmaku thrown at her, though it was a bit too much as she had to start dodging. I shouted up at my maid companion.

"Keep it up, Sakuya! Knock her out!"

"Not bad at all! Haven't had such a good projectile block workout in a while!"

Sakuya kept up her attack, and Youmu kept backing up, into the fog. Soon, we couldn't see where the girl was.

Out of nowhere, Youmu jumped down behind Sakuya, landing on the stairs before us. The gardener ran right for me.

_Oh crap oh crap oh crap!_

Suffice to say, the hair on the back of my neck stood up.

"No, you don't!"

That was Reimu. Like you would have seen from an anime that had a shrine maiden, Reimu had thrown some amulets, which stuck to the ground, surrounding us. A barrier had gone up, but not one of the spell card ones. Youmu ran into it like she ran into a wall. Stunned, the gardener glared at the miko. Reimu scowled at this display of Youmu's, and spoke with anger in her voice.

"You wanna play for real, ghost? I can seal you away. No. You're playing Danmaku right now. If you want to get serious, I'll oblige. But I promise you - you won't like it."

Youmu was about to say something, but jumped back, as Sakuya, still with her danmaku barrier active, dropped down in front of her. The maid chuckled.

"Trust me. You wouldn't like it if the miko got serious."

I glanced at Marisa, who simply smiled and shrugged. At that point I had a newfound respect for Reimu.

The gardener's eyes narrowed as Sakuya's spell card wore off, and brought out one of her own.

"Fine. Fine. If we're playing this game, then let's see you avoid this one, maid."

[SPELL CARD: BRUTE SWORD "KARMIC PUNISHMENT OF THE IDLE AND UNFOCUSED"]

_That's a nasty-sounding spell card._

Youmu took a deep breath, holding her katana up at the sky, focusing. Sakuya shot-

Youmu was then at a different location, her sword out in a slashing motion. That was near instantaneous! Ten slashes appeared in the air between her original position and where she was at that point, and again each slash rained down their danmaku. Before they moved too far, Youmu did it again, and again, back and forth, each time adding ten more slashes. I was right - it was a nasty spell card.

Sakuya had to use another spell card of her own.

[SPELL CARD: TIME SIGN "PERFECT SQUARE"]

With the breathing room afforded by her second barrier spell card, Sakuya stepped up her knife throwing. Youmu had to go on the defensive again, her danmaku unable to affect the barrier surrounding Sakuya. With both swords slashing, she kept knocking away the knives, though a few got through, as cuts appeared on her dress.

"You got her on the ropes, ze!"

Youmu responded to what Marisa said, shouting. The gardener had a bit of desperation in her voice.

"You think you stand a chance in our realm? You are the invaders! I'm defending my home! I won't lose!"

[SPELL CARD: HUMAN REALM SWORD "DELUSION OF ENLIGHTENMENT"]

She held up her spell card, the anger in her eyes burning.

"I _can't_ lose!"

_I think this girl has some issues._

The second the maid's spell card ended, Youmu activated her own. Again, she disappeared in the fog, and reappeared behind Sakuya, slashing at the air along the staircase. She then went back to her original place before Sakuya, and shot danmaku.

That wasn't the worst part. The worst part was that the slash behind Sakuya began to spew danmaku as well. Sakuya was stuck in a crossfire, and out of barrier spell cards. _Man, this one's even worse than the last one._

I watched as the maid twisted and turned her body in midair as she whipped her head from front and back to see where the next shot would come from. She kept dodging, but just barely. Her dress was being torn up here and there. And I don't know how she did it, but she outlasted the spell card. She dodged for well over a minute.

Sakuya turned to Marisa.

"Black-white! I need a little boost! I have an idea!"

"Got it! Barrier going up!"

The witch tossed up a few cherry blossoms, activating my barrier. For a second, Sakuya was right next to me, hand on my shoulder, then the next she was back out on the field right in front of Youmu with the barrier. The maid motioned for the gardener to attack her.

"Come on, gardener! Let's see that katana of yours!"

Youmu moved forward, slashing at Sakuya, only for the sword strike to bounce off. Her eyes widened in disbelief, as her beloved katana failed to cut through the barrier. I shrugged, silently telling her "that's what you get for messing with us". Sakuya used another spell card during that split-second Youmu was off-balance.

[SPELL CARD: ILLUSION SIGN "INDISCRIMINATE"]

Surrounded by knives, Sakuya moved forward to Youmu, the knives randomly firing. Youmu had to keep up her defense, she was showing that she wasn't expecting it from the maid. The gardener's defense was impressive, using both swords to knock away most of the knife danmaku. By that time, worry had set on her face. Youmu knew she was in trouble.

[SPELL CARD: HEAVENS SWORD "FIVE SIGNS OF THE DYING DEVA"]

A few more parts of Youmu's dress were slashed. Gritting her teeth, she again launched into another spell card. She used both swords, slashing the air in front of her, creating more of those slash rifts that created more shots, which were even more dense.

"Is that all you can do, gardener?" taunted Sakuya. "Slash at the air?"

"Just give the boy to me and I'll end it quick!"

"End?"

[SPELL CARD: ILLUSION SIGN "KILLING DOLL"]

"You're right! It's time to end this!"

Sakuya's essential calling card brought out the familiar spinning barrage of knives, which went right for Youmu. The gardener began to swing her katanas-

And she yelped as she was knocked back, hit by most of the knives, overwhelmed. Her own spell card ended, and she fell to the staircase, rolling down a few steps before stopping. Sakuya landed near her, arms crossed. Sakuya's maid outfit was a mess, but still intact, as some of Youmu's attacks had gotten way too close. The maid brought out a knife and twirled it in between her fingers, letting out a playful whistle.

"Cool. Looks like these knives actually work against ghosts. Maybe because they're silver?"

_Either way, they're effective, Sakuya._

Youmu slowly propped herself up, shaking.

"I'm...half non-ghost...you know. But the mistress of this realm is...is a full ghost. Do you expect to be a challenge...using those trinkets for weapons?"

_She was a challenge for you, Miss Konpaku._

"Wait, why are we already talking about that battle?"

Sakuya turned to us and sighed.

"Well, we're done here, let-"

As soon as Sakuya had turned her back, Youmu quickly got up to her feet, and picked up her blade from the ground. _Damn it, Sakuya, you need to stop turning your back on your enemies!_

"_Sakuya watch ou_-"

Before I finished that shout, the maid whipped around, blocking the katana with her knives.

"Hey! Gardener! I beat you fair and square!"

The blatant rage in Youmu's eyes told the tale.

"_Enough! I've had it with this game! I'll never let you attack Lady Yuyuko!_"

They went at it. Sakuya with two knives, and Youmu with her katana. It was surprising that something that could "slice air" couldn't cut the silver knives Sakuya had. It was unreal to see such a thing, however - a maid wielding knives fighting a girl in a green dress and a ghost hanging around her wielding a katana, on a staircase in the afterlife. You can't make this stuff up.

"Hey," said Sakuya as she blocked a swipe by Youmu, "Reimu?"

*clang*

"What, you need help?"

*clang*

"No, just wanted to-"

*clang*

"-tell you that you were right."

"About what?"

_So...when that katana hits knives, it goes "clang"? How...ah, forget it. Not gonna ask why or how knives are able to block a katana. It's happening right in front of me._

*clang*

"Just in case I-"

*clang*

"-didn't make it, I wanted to set-"

*clang*

"-the record straight."

_Interesting conversation I'm witnessing._ Sakuya backed up from Youmu, keeping her distance as they held their weapons at each other. The maid spoke fast.

"I _was_ a vampire hunter. Lady Remilia was to be just another prey."

_Geez. So it was for real. She actually was a vampire hunter._

"Yet I lost. She gave me two choices. Serve her as a human, or serve her as a vampire. I kept my humanity; I chose this path and haven't regretted it. She isn't the monster I thought she was. And I would gladly die for her. She gave me a home, a family in her ranks. I finally felt what it was like to be part of a family."

_This_ appears to be a recurring theme for people in Gensokyo, it seems. My mind went back to what Remilia said: the last harbor for the paranormal, for those unaccepted by the outside world. All I could do was stare at Sakuya - all I could do was wonder how it was like for her.

"I was shunned for my abilities. People didn't understand what I was, so I tried hunting those that would hurt them, looking for some sort of belonging. They still didn't give it. But Lady Remilia, she showed me humanity. That's what you gotta do, Reimu. Give them a chance. The youkai are more human than humans."

_Huh. Remilia has a habit of making the strong either her servants or her allies. _ Youmu kept her sword pointed at Sakuya during that whole monologue.

"Very touching, maid. _I_ ,however, won't give you such a choice."

Youmu moved forward to strike, but feigned going one way. Sakuya didn't see it in time, and got slashed in the back when Youmu struck with her smaller blade.

"_Sakuya_!"

The maid stumbled forward, clenching her teeth, and blood began to seep through the cut in her outfit. I took a few steps towards her as she glared at me.

"_Kyon, stay back_!"

Youmu quickly turned and struck again. Sakuya barely turned in time, reacting slower, and almost losing her knives as the katana made contact. Youmu brought down her blade on Sakuya again, who managed to get her knives up to catch it. She fell to one knee as Youmu struggled to keep pushing down.

"Maid..._nobody_ invades my home...I'm gonna _cut_ you..._cut you into pieces_..."

_Dammit, someone help her!_

"Hey...Reimu..."

Reimu and Marisa brought out their weapons - amulets and that octagon thing, respectively.

"Sakuya! Back up! Let us blast her!"

"No...Reimu...is...is she in clear...violation...of the Danmaku laws?"

"Yeah, but-"

Sakuya was down to both knees, clenching her teeth.

"So...does that mean...I can use my full power..."

My eyes widened as Sakuya began to chuckle. A confused look came over Youmu's face as Sakuya grinned. _Was she actually-_

"Gardener, do you know what one of my favorite things to do with my prey was? Do you know what it was? When they thought they had won? What I sprang on them?"

Youmu's eyes narrowed as she kept pushing down on Sakuya. Then her eyes widened a bit. The maid was pushing back up, and smiled a wide, toothy grin - it looked so menacing in the afterlife light.

"Letting them think they got a good hit on me, and feigning being injured."

_Youmu, you are in so much trouble._

Sakuya stood up, kicking Youmu in the gut, knocking her back. The gardener gasped, stumbling.

"Now, my little gardener - _it's my turn_!"

Youmu dashed at Sakuya, who stood there, smirking. The gardener slashed empty air when Sakuya disappeared at the last second.

"_What the_-"

"Over here."

Youmu quickly slashed at Sakuya who was at the gardener's left, but then she was behind her.

"You made the big mistake of pissing me off."

Youmu turned, only to see Sakuya do a rapid disappearance and reappearance act in front of her.

"How..."

_This is so freaking awesome!_

Sakuya stood to Youmu's right side, holding up her pocket watch. Sakuya's face showed her confidence - she knew Youmu wasn't even going to touch her from that point on.

"Hmm...if I had to make an educated guess-"

Again Youmu slashed at nothing but air. By that time I was grinning like an idiot at this display. Youmu obviously didn't know who she was dealing with, that she couldn't win. Sakuya, behind the gardener again, continued.

"-I'd have to say your slashing speed is at a quarter of the speed of light. Impressive."

_How is __**that**__ possible?_

_A world created by Haruhi. Duh._

Another slash at the air, and another. Youmu kept looking around trying to guess where Sakuya would pop up again.

"Too bad it isn't instantaneous though. Then I'd be in trouble."

"Where...how..."

Youmu was wearing herself out - she was breathing heavily, trying to keep up with the maid who was popping in and out of thin air. And not to mention Youmu lost a Danmaku battle. Aren't they supposed to sap your stamina? She stumbled after yet another miss.

"Tick tock, Youmu. Tick tock."

_Really, Sakuya? A time pun?_

Flustered and exhausted, Konpaku's hands started to shake, trying to keep hold of the sword.

"_Stay...stay still!_"

"Come on! Stop _trying_ to hit me and hit me!"

Angry, Youmu instead went for me again. Well, in my general direction. Before she even went two steps, Sakuya appeared at her side and tripped her, disappeared, then reappeared standing over the gardener, arms crossed. Sakuya showed a bit of mock pity at her opponent.

"Well, _you_ were the one who wanted to go down this path, little girl."

"I'm _not_ a little girl! I'm easily three times your age!"

The maid disappeared as Youmu tried to slash from the ground. At the apex of the slash, Sakuya reappeared and kicked away the blade. It clattered at my feet. The maid then had her knife drawn at Youmu's throat.

"Time's up," Sakuya coldly spoke.

The gardener stared up at her superior foe, wide-eyed and out of breath. I was out of breath, too, because that whole display was beyond awesome. It was a while before Youmu spoke, tears rolling down her cheeks, gritting her teeth. She was defeated, and she knew it.

"I...I failed my mistress. Go on. Do it."

Sakuya merely shook her head. Youmu shouted at her.

_"Just do it! Get it over with! I failed her! _I failed...and after everything I've done...stealing spring...everything I've done to Gensokyo...just put me out of my misery...please."

_Youmu is...sorry?_

"You sound just like me when I was in your place. At least I didn't break your ribs."

Grinning, Reimu responded to that obvious jab at her by Sakuya.

"I'd have a witty response, maid, but not right now."

It was hard for me not to smile at that. Even Reimu can have a sense of humor. Sakuya tried not to smile at that, but wasn't doing a very good job at it.

"Hmm. Yeah. Anyway. Youmu, you need to understand something. The rules of Danmaku are there for a reason. It's taken me some time to understand them myself. Mostly because now I appreciate them as opposed to the alternative."

Marisa had already given me some cherry blossoms and I went up to place my hand on Sakuya. She sighed in relief as her back healed.

"Ah, yeah. Yeah, that's it. Thanks, Kyon."

_Don't mention it._

"Anyways, Youmu. I've seen a lot of death in my life already, and I just barely turned twenty. But your patterns...I'm impressed by them. And I respect your tenacity to protect your mistress and your home, because it matches mine." Slowly, Sakuya was moving the blade of her knife away from the throat of Youmu. "Which is why I have to do this. Why we have to do this. Why we need to challenge your master. _My_ master has ordered me to end winter, and I do intend on completing my task."

_That, and we need to get me home._

"I have failed my master before, Youmu. But she has forgiven my failures. I know it hurts to disappoint someone you care about, but we can't help it sometimes. Don't be like this. It's not the end of the world. Your master truly cares about you, right?"

The gardener slowly nodded. As did I. I think I finally understood why Sakuya still held a grudge against Reimu. It wasn't that she was beaten, or had her ribs broken. It was the simple fact that Sakuya had failed to stop those who wished to challenge her master.

You know, the people in here can be difficult to understand, but there is a way to understand them, I suppose. I don't know. Just a random musing. Sakuya responded to Youmu's nod.

"Then she'll forgive you. I can attest that you did your best against me."

The maid put away her knives, pulled Youmu up, and stretched.

"Ah, it felt good to let loose. I've forgotten how it was to be in a battle like that."

_Again, I'm glad we're on the same side, and that you didn't go through with killing me to fix spring. I never would have stood a chance._

Reimu approached Sakuya, arms crossed, a knowing smile forming.

"So...vampire hunter."

The maid scoffed, a sour smile on her face, as she straightened up her outfit.

"You just won't let that go, will you? Yeah. Yeah, I was like you. And now I serve what I hunted. So? So what if that happened? So what, miko - you afraid you'll lose to a youkai and have to serve under them? Let me tell you - it's not so bad. I have a roof over my head, I have clothes on my back, I'm developing my powers under their guidance, and I rose through the ranks of servitude to become the head maid. And they don't look down on me for being the only human there. Like I said, I haven't regretted it."

_I guess it depends on the youkai you serve, doesn't it? But wow. Vampire hunter serving a vampire. Sakuya is such an interesting person, possibly one of _the_ most interesting if not the most interesting person I've met, and I've only known her for two days._

Marisa put her hand on Reimu's shoulder, patting it.

"Reimu, you gotta loosen up a bit on everyone, you know? Sakuya's all right, ze."

"You say that," Reimu said as she turned her head to the witch. "But doesn't she chase you down when you sneak into their library?"

Marisa grinned.

"Maybe. But still - some youkai are all right. Even us humans who serve or have served a youkai are all right, right? We're not all that bad. Why else would you let _me_ hang out with you, ze?"

_Marisa served a youkai?_ That brought up an interesting thought - did Marisa and Reimu have to face each other then if that was the case? Was their initial relationship somewhat like Reimu's and Sakuya's?

Reimu didn't have anything to respond to that, and seemingly satisfied, Sakuya turned to the gardener.

Youmu stood there for a bit, staring into the maid's eyes, before kneeling at Sakuya's feet.

"Very well. You may proceed to meet her."

She looked up, her face no longer serious. It was pleading, her eyes filled with worry. It was as if she took off the mask of intimidation - this was the real Youmu, it seemed.

"And truth be told, I hope you all can stop her. She hasn't been the same since she listened to that Yuki-Onna."

I shook my head, getting angry again. _Whiterock._ I also shook my head at the whole "she was about to kill all of us but now is like this."

_So_ much like an anime.

"Letty. What has she done?"

Youmu stood up and faced me as Marisa returned her sword. The gardener took a moment to wipe away the remnants of the tears on her face, trying to regain composure, before explaining.

"Well, there is one tree in a massive field in front of our home, a tree that remains dead amidst Hakugyokurou's impressive rows of cherry blossom trees. It's been there since before I was born - as long as Lady Yuyuko has been here. A gigantic cherry blossom tree: the Saigyou Ayakashi."

_Cherry blossom tree. It's a damn cherry blossom tree. The Saigyou Ayakashi is real, just like in that story. It just had to come to this, didn't it? Why else would I get a blatant clue like that?_

Also, Marisa was right. I _am_ dense. I couldn't help but sigh before I spoke.

"A youkai cherry blossom tree of immense power, charming people to sleep under it, taking their lives. A sacrifice was performed a thousand years ago, putting it to sleep."

The four girls slowly turned to me, Youmu bewildered.

"But...but how do you know that? The fate of it is obscure, even in Hakugyokurou!"

I shook my head. Sakuya approached me, confused.

"Where did you hear this?"

I brought out the pages and handed them out.

"These were left in my room back in the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Papers describing this legend. I didn't think anything of it, and wondered who left them for me. But yeah, the Saigyou Ayakashi - as it took their lives, the tree eventually became a youkai, gained sentience, and it extended its power to have more people go. It drove people insane, making them view the blossoms it bloomed, charming with its beauty. And killing. Killing and gaining more power. Until somebody was sacrificed to seal it away."

_I have to say, it does feel a bit weird to be the one explaining things. I'm usually the one on the receiving end of these. Ah, well._

"It was a thousand years ago..."

I raised an eyebrow at Youmu as she lowered her head.

"Lady Yuyuko wants to revive that person."

_Good Lord._

"What? _Why!_?"

"She wants to remember her time. She's been dead for a thousand years, and has forgotten who she was when she was alive. The Yuki-Onna convinced her that the best way to remember would be to bring the sacrifice back to life and meet with her. That's why we've stolen spring...she..." Youmu's eyes widened, seemingly realizing something. "Of course! Lady Yuyuko didn't have any idea on how to awaken the tree. Whiterock _had_ to have been the one who suggested we steal the essence of spring to do it...Damn it."

_Oh, you have got to be kidding me!_ I wanted to scream and pull my hair out. Letty _was_ the one pulling the strings all along! She confessed to us at the beginning of the day, and we didn't do a damn thing to stop her! It _was_ that easy! _For once in my life it __**was**__ that easy! That stupid Yuki-Onna got me involved just so she could have an extended winter! That's why I'm here! Just so she could enjoy the freaking cold! _And we let her slip through our hands not once, _but twice!_

Youmu stared at me, her expression a bit unreadable.

"The spring that has been gathering in you, human. For some reason, the spring we have been giving the Ayakashi has been bleeding out in the form of the cherry blossoms, and it has been going into you. I don't know why."

_I __**am**__ some sort of container. I have the spring of this place inside of my body. But, Jeez...I've been gathering the cherry blossoms of the actual Saigyou Ayakashi._

I actually didn't know what to think of that. I still don't. The spring of Gensokyo was inside of my body. Funny - I didn't feel any warmth inside of me.

"So...how do you guys intend on getting the spring out of me?"

Youmu didn't answer - she just lowered her eyes. I swallowed hard at that, because I had an idea what that meant. She confirmed it.

"...Death would be one of the ways to release the spring from your body. There are other methods, but we lack them."

_Perfect. Just perfect. I knew I should have stayed in bed this morning. People wanting to kill me to solve their problems. What did I do in a past life to deserve all of this? What God did my ancestors offend to make me suffer so much?_

"That would be bad, ze. Reawakening the person under the tree."

That was the witch - Marisa must have had the paper with the fancy handwriting.

"Says here that the only way to revive the person is to have the Saigyou Ayakashi bloom again."

Reimu's eyes widened as she grabbed Youmu's shoulders. The miko shouted at the gardener.

"_She actually wants to bring that thing to life? Just to meet someone? People are dying down there all for a selfish reason? And more people can die because of it?_"

Youmu's mouth went agape, her lips quivering while she was being shouted at. Seemed like that when Youmu wasn't being intimidating, she was actually quite sensitive.

"Lady Yuyuko has been obsessed over it! She's not like this! She's not a bad person! It's the Yuki-Onna! She did something to my master, I know she did! But I can't disobey my master!" Youmu appeared to be breaking down. Tears were forming in her eyes again. "She's so intent on doing this that she had me steal all the spring from Gensokyo! I tried to explain it...tried to wake her up...You don't know what it's like to..."

Youmu dropped to her knees, her hands to her face, letting out a small sob. Even though she was an enemy a while ago, I could see where she was coming from. She had to follow the orders of the one she served, even though she had doubts of what she was doing.

Sakuya's brow furrowed as she stood there, nodding.

"It's like the puppeteer said. Getting someone to steal spring from Gensokyo, and making sure that the last part needed was in the outside world, hidden, unable to be the vessel for the cherry blossoms and not gathering spring in turn. Thus, winter in here goes on forever. Letty's been planning this for a while, it seems. And she _was_ telling the truth when she said there's a worse alternative."

I ran my fingers through my hair, frustrated and scared at this situation.

"She took a big chance though. Eternal winter, or everything dies by the Ayakashi? Reckless. Shouldn't even be worth it." I turned to the miko. "But, Reimu, even if it gets blooming again, then won't it just stay up here? I mean, right? It won't hurt anybody?"

The miko spoke as she read through the papers she had. Her expression showed she knew the seriousness of the situation.

"Well, Kyon, if it's a youkai, then it might be able to pick itself up and go to another location. All it would have to do is make it back to Earth, and that would be it. I don't know how strong it is or what it can really do; these papers don't give out that kind of information. I mean, who knows." Reimu's eyes skimmed over the page she was on before closing her eyes and sighing. "Maybe it would charm a phantom or a ghost or I don't know what to help it. But all it would have to do is make it back down to Earth, and yeah, checkmate." The miko turned her head towards the direction we came from - the direction of the realm of the living. "Consume Gensokyo, then when the barrier fails and the outside world is open to it, there goes everyone out there. Unless it reaches the outside world first. Such an evil thing can't be allowed to exist."

I hoped that the Data Entities would be able to combat it if it got that far.

"This is heavy, ze." Marisa was reading over Reimu's shoulder as she spoke. "Driving people mad so it can consume them. But it'll only effect the area of the outside world it's in, right? Nobody else will see it?"

_Oh, hell. _ I wished that was the case. I shook my head.

"I don't know if you girls have television or the internet here, but it's easy to share and view photos or videos in my world. If this thing can charm people to get other people to view it, then it would have to get itself shown on television or its picture posted up on a major internet website. And then its image would spread like wild fire all over the world, everyone wanting to allow themselves to be consumed. Jeez. Everything's going to end if it gets out there."

I was realizing it as I was saying it. With something like that, technology and picture/video sharing would be the downfall of mankind. Humanity would be killing itself with that. The enormity of the situation was hitting me harder than the time I went into the end of the world with Haruhi. _Man, this threat is way worse than the prospect of a mere rewrite of reality! This is an ending of reality. Can't believe I'm missing the simplicity of Haruhi's closed spaces! Also, by the confused looks on their faces, I think it would be safe to assume there is no internet or television in Gensokyo._

Youmu was still on her knees, hands over her face, shaking. Her voice reflected that.

"...What have I done...I couldn't bring myself to stop her...and I still can't...I kidnapped the Spring Fairy...and the youkai of Flowers to help...but..."

_Wait, wait - spring fairy?_

"Spring Fairy?" Sakuya asked. "You mean Lilly White? She's a myth! A mere children's story!"

Youmu shook her head while she was trying to regain her composure.

"She's real, maid. We have her."

_Ah, they're talking of things that I know nothing about again. Kind of frustrating..._

I guess she noticed the confusion on my face, because Sakuya explained.

"Children's story here in Gensokyo. Lilly White is supposed to be a fairy that brings spring to the land every year. There are a few stories of kids going on adventures to free the fairy from evil wizards and such who want winter to last forever... But it's stupid...a mere fairy...?"

_Looks like we're actually living that out._

Marisa rubbed her chin, glancing over at Reimu. There was something behind her eyes, well, both Reimu and Marisa's, as if they both were a bit afraid of something.

"Youkai...Hey, Reimu, it couldn't be, could it?"

Reimu's jaw clenched, as she stared at Youmu.

"Gardener...you didn't get...Yuka Kazami?"

"I don't know her name. I was just instructed to get her...oh...what have I done..."

When they were done talking of things I didn't know about, I had to speak what was on my mind, and what I hoped had to be on their minds as well.

"So, what girls? Do you go on without me?"

They remained silent, although Reimu started to slightly nod. I mean, it was the most logical solution, right? In all the mangas, there is usually one stupid character that is needed by the bad guys to carry out some sort of prophecy or whatnot, and their presence only ruins the chances of the good guys, because they "have" to be there to prove themselves or whatever. Then their stupidity causes them to get caught, or they get someone killed. It's one of the more annoying...tropes? I think that's the term I'm looking for. It's one of the more annoying tropes in stories that really tick me off, and I refused to be that idiot.

Then again, I _was_ sort of that idiot, as I already had a chance to not go as far as I did at that point.

"I mean, if the remaining spring has been gathering in me," I said, "and...and if I'm needed to revive this thing, then shouldn't I be as far away as possible?"

Before Reimu could speak, we heard a voice echo from around us.

"That would be inconvenient for me, young man."

It was a woman's voice. My blood went ice cold. Youmu appeared to have recognized that voice.

"My lady?"

_Ah, hell. Lady Yuyuko. The one who can induce death._

Out of nowhere, a mass of glowing crimson butterflies swarmed us, picked us up off the stairs, and rushed us to the top. And don't ask me how they picked us up. They just did. Even I don't know the logistics of that. We didn't even have time to fight back against those things.

Hakugyokurou. The sky reminded me of closed space, but it was more appealing. I would have enjoyed the walkways, the perfect rows of cherry blossom trees, pink and red as far as the eye can see. How the otherworldly light reflected off of everything. The zen gardens, the ponds...

I would have enjoyed it, if I wasn't scared out of my mind. I knew what was happening. Who picked us up. Where we were going.

It wasn't hard to figure out. Youmu said it - a massive field in the center of Hakugyokurou, with a big house at the edge of it, and a large dead tree smack dab in the middle. It towered over everything in that realm of the dead. We were dropped onto the field, right in front of the tree, right in front of a woman floating there before it. It felt like I was having a panic attack, even though I've never had one before. _This shouldn't be happening!_

"Hello, humans. My name is Yuyuko Saigyouji. Welcome to Hakugyokurou."

_Oh, God help me. God help me, I _am_ that idiot._

* * *

She took a deep breath of the cold, letting it concentrate in her body. She enjoyed the wonderful cooling sensation it made, knowing that it could be the last night she could enjoy it.

Letty Whiterock stood on the top of a large tree in Gensokyo, head hanging low. Those idiots doomed everyone just to eliminate her season. To invalidate her season was to invalidate her, and it always made her sad to see people hate winter. It was the only time of year she could live, the only time she could be out. During all the other seasons, she had to hibernate, find somewhere cold, and sleep until winter rolled around.

But why was she so enraged? The puppeteer told them where to go, and Letty couldn't contain her anger. She had to do it, _had_ to make her pay for being the one responsible. The one who lead the boy into the hands of Yuyuko. And in reality, the puppeteer was the lucky one.

Letty let out a sigh as she enjoyed the way the wind carried the snow. She reached out and held a snowflake. Each one individual. Each one precious. Each one unique.

_The snow is so beautiful. Clean, uncompromising, and cold. And now it's all going to disappear. Those damn idiots._

She had hoped that she could scare them away. Scare the boy away with what she was told to say to him to make him go home. But they didn't listen. They wouldn't. Too idiotic because they hated her season, and hated her.

Again, she could feel the rage building. It wasn't like her. She knew that the seasons had their purpose. She knew. But what was going on with her was different. Her own actions scared even her, despite the tradeoff she made to gain more power, to gain her season.

_The girl with the long hair..._

The one who came to Gensokyo from the outside world, and did something. Did something to her. Ever since she met that little girl, Letty had been having problems, unable to control herself. But it was amazing. The increase in power. The prospect of an eternal winter. The girl gave her the instructions on what to do, how to go about doing it, and it was like a God send. All Letty had to do was cast the spell, or as the girl called it, data alteration, she was given on just anyone from the outside world. And Letty could have unending cold.

"And now I have to realize that I doomed the world..."

_..._

_...no._

_...they doomed it._

_...they hate me...hate me and my precious season..._

_...even...even if they triumph over Yuyuko...they still need to die._

Yes.

Each and every one of them.

She had to protect her right to live, to be out. They were the enemies.

The girl with the long hair. Her image burned in Letty's mind again, reminding her what to do. What needed to be done.

_Kill them._

_Kill this product of Haruhi Suzumiya. Freeze it. Cover it in snow._

It didn't even register to Letty that she didn't know what that really meant. She had deduced who Haruhi was, because when the little girl with the long hair spoke of a "Haruhi", the image of "Haruhi" flashed through Letty's mind. _ Haruhi was that girl with an aura about her, yes, but what made her so special? She was just an unusual person in a group of unusual people, with only one normal person in the bunch_. _What made her any different from the other unusual ones?_

It was just pure luck that she came across that specific girl.

_Kill everyone in here._

In the back of Letty's mind, it didn't make sense. _Why the boy? Why was the boy allowed to live? Why keep him alive? He was with them, those that hated her!_

What made him special?

Kill everyone in here...

Kill him?

Immediately the image presented itself again, burning pain seeping through. She grabbed her head and doubled over.

Don't kill him. Need him alive.

_Why is he so special?_

Don't kill him. Need him alive.

_Why should I let him live?_

Don't kill him. Need him alive.

_Why does that human need to live?_

Don't kill him. Need him alive.

_I'm not getting an answer._

Don't kill him. Need him alive.

_I deserve an answer._

Don't kill him. Need him alive.

_I demand an answer._

Don't kill him. Need him alive.

_After everything I've done for you, I think I deserve a reason for your actions! I need to know! Why is he so special?!_

Don't kill him. Need him alive.

_Answer me or I'll make you pay for it._

Don't kill him. Need him alive.

_I'll kill him then. How would you like that?_

The image burned.

It was worse than the other times when she questioned the thoughts being pushed into her mind. She fought it. She struggled. It hurt, but she pushed back. A pain shot through her mind, the image engrained with the simple message of "Kill". She clenched her teeth, the pain unbearable.

_Enough! I'm not...stop it! It hurts! It hurts! Stop letmegoIcan'tstandthisanymoreIcan'tstanditit hurtsithurtsithurtsithurts!_

Letty used all of her power to push the image out of her head, but doing so felt like an icicle raking across her mind. The image was gone, but was instead replaced by pain. She couldn't think anymore, her thought process gone, replaced by pure pain. Her screams and wails were lost in the snowstorm's roaring.

Then there was nothing. No pain. No thoughts. Just the last message in her brain. The only message in her brain. The only thing that made sense to her.

_Kill._

Letty stood up, as if her head was clear again, even though it wasn't. Something was different, her mind going in one direction.

_Kill._

A flash of an image went through her mind. Of a boy she saw. A normal, Japanese male. Standing in the snow with four other people.

_Kill._

_The boy._

Her memory came ebbing back, but there was only one thing on her mind. The only thing that made sense to her at that point.

_Kill the boy._

Letty was done enjoying the snowstorm. She had to get up there.

* * *

The vampire woke up, noticing the vibrations. She laid in her bed, staring up at the stone ceiling, Something was wrong. She sensed suffering, pain, and death.

Patchi was among those suffering.

_Why is Patchi hurt? What's hurting her?_

The vampire sat up. She stared at the large wooden door. She felt like she wanted to nap again, but she could sense Patchi's heartbeat.

_She's bleeding out. She's gonna die._

She shook her head, trying to clear it up. Her breathing became shallow.

_Patchi is hurt. Focus. Focus. Patchi needs to be saved. Patchi is gonna die._

Flandre Scarlet got out of bed and left her room, all of her senses focused on her friend.

_Can't let her die. Nothing should hurt Patchi. I like Patchi. I'll be sad if she dies._

* * *

-begin-

Conditioning failed.

Tool LETTY WHITEROCK broken.

Ready to receive consequences should Subject [NAME REDACTED] "KYON" die.

Plan to destroy product GENSOKYO of enemy Target HARUHI SUZUMIYA goes as predicted despite losing control over Tool LETTY WHITEROCK.

SCARLET DEVIL MANSION Sabotaged - interfered with "magical" barriers, and weakened structural integrity.

HUMAN VILLAGE Sabotaged - removed all firewood.

[DATA CORRUPTED] Sabotaged.

Unable to Sabotage MAYOHIGA.

All objectives completed.

Still unsure of power of Unknown Entity SAIGYOU AYAKASHI.

Should it revive, could be a possible fall back to rely on to destroy product GENSOKYO.

Will combat if necessary if it proves to be a threat to our interests.

-Kuyou Suou

-end-

* * *

**Youmu is one of my favorite characters in Touhou. :)**

**Ah, yes. Sky Canopy Domain.**


	9. ICB Episode 9 Broken

**What people tend to forget, with the way Yuyuko is constantly portrayed in Fanon, is that she is actually a terrifying enemy when it comes to it. I mean, how can you go up against something that can kill you with mere will? And with her command of the dead? It's horrifying. She can kill you and use your soul to serve her.**

**Also, Happy Halloween, people. And we have hit 3,000 views!**

**The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is owned by Nagaru Tanigawa. Touhou Project is owned by ZUN and Team Shanghai Alice. I own neither. This is a fan fiction of those works.**

**Beta Readers for this Episode(Alphabetical Order):**

**Serendipital**

**superstarultra**

* * *

The mistress of Hakugyokorou stared down at us with her maroon eyes. A Japanese woman...a full bodied woman at that. I'm talking Adult Asahina figure - this ghost's face just as beautiful, and her curves were in all the right places.

_Focus, focus. She possibly needs me dead._

Not exactly the most comforting thing to focus on, was it? What was that about her body again?

Anyway, she was wearing a light blue kimono with dark trim. Her shoulder-length wavy pink hair lightly moved, as if there was a small breeze surrounding her, and a few ghostly orbs were surrounding her, making wavy motions as well. This ghost woman actually had a Hitaikakushi on her mob cap, with a spiral red ghost symbol. Reminded me of the Dreamcast logo, actually.

She wasn't threatening, she wasn't angry. She was just smiling at all of us. Her eyes locked onto mine. All I could do was stare back at her, shaking.

"Ah," she cheerfully spoke. Her voice was extremely soothing. "The boy from the outside world. You have not been in Gensokyo long, have you? Well, I have to thank you, young man, for collecting all of the spring that has bled out of the Saigyou Ayakashi. It was a problem we couldn't fix until recently. But the spring within you will allow it to finally bloom, bringing the revival of the person under it."

_This can't be happening. Please, this can't be happening. _

Yuyuko turned to her servant.

"Youmu, please go inside and prepare dinner. I won't be long."

"Lady Yuyuko," Youmu blurted out. "You need to listen to these humans! You don't know-"

"Youmu, please. Prepare dinner. The guest I will be reviving might be hungry, after all. We can't be inhospitable."

Yuyuko wasn't angry with her servant. That cut-off was actually said without any hint of aggression. _Yuyuko doesn't seem like a person who would get angry._

The gardener hung her head as she slowly turned and walked to the house. The ghost that was with Youmu appeared to do the same.

_Really, Youmu? You're gonna give up like that?!_

"Youmu!" Sakuya shouted out to her. "You need to do the right thing! Come on!"

* * *

Youmu wanted to say something to the four, wanted to do what was right. Lady Yuyuko wasn't in her right state of mind! Yet Lady Yuyuko banished her best friend, the border youkai, from returning when she sealed the door to Hakugyokurou to prevent Youmu from gathering spring, and they'd been friends forever. Everyone thought the door was broken, but it was just sealed, sealed until Youmu was ordered to slash a way out.

Even the friend tried to stop Yuyuko...yet Youmu couldn't bring herself to do anything. She couldn't disobey her master. The Konpakus had been faithfully serving Lady Yuyuko for centuries, and she didn't want to be the one to break that honor. Yet there was no honor in that, what Youmu was doing. Why couldn't she bring herself to do anything?

She paused, turned her head a bit, wanting to say something, explain herself to the humans, but then hung it again and continued her walk. She entered the house, closing the door. She took a deep breath before dropping to her knees, hating herself.

_If the tree revives...reaches full bloom._

She once heard a family member talk about it long ago, but she couldn't recall what was exactly said, not at the moment. She had heard the myth about it, but what exactly was said? It went into greater detail, but she couldn't remember - not then. But those papers really got her memory jogging...

"Don't let that tree bloom, Youmu. I'm counting on you."

Her grandfather's last words to her before he left, the only family she had. And Youmu would be responsible for helping unleash an evil into the world. What a way to tarnish the name.

She could never bring her blade against her master. She stood up, hoping that those four could stop her. It was all she could do, hope that her master could be beaten. Youmu steeled herself as she went to prepare dinner, closing the windows as she went, not wanting to look outside.

A gnawing feeling in her stomach told her she would have to look outside eventually.

_If Lady Yuyuko gets this idea out of her head, I'll chop down that stupid tree myself._

On the trail of that thought, of the tree, and what was needed for it to revive, she realized something. She had hardened herself against what she was doing for her master, not allowing much thoughts of doubt to creep into her mind.

It started to creep into her mind. The words of the miko reverberated in her head:

"..._people are dying down there!"_

_By the Gods...what have I done? What have I really been doing? I'm to blame for all of this...If Lady Yuyuko wins, she'll have to kill him. She'll have to kill the boy to get the spring within him. By the Gods, what have I done to the poor boy?_

* * *

******Imperfect Cherry Blossom**

**Episode 9**

**["Broken"]**

* * *

_**"Loathing this unclean world. **_

_**Seeking rebirth in the Pure Land."**_

**=A Maiden's remains in the other world=**

_"__**Please offer Cherry Blossoms to my deceased body,**_

_**If someone is willing to mourn my death."**_

**-Touhou 7, Perfect Cherry Blossom - Stage 6**

* * *

Yuyuko watched as her servant entered the house and closed the door. Still smiling, she turned to us.

"Are you enjoying the flowers, humans?"

_What kind of pre-final battle conversation starter is that?_ It was as if she asked us that during a tea party. It was that casual.

I was panicking, but I did manage to take a look around; it was very calming actually, getting my heart rate down. I could see why this place was famous in the afterlife. Well maintained, and just plain amazing.

_Wait, shake out of it! This person possibly wants you dead!_

Reimu took a few steps toward the ghost.

"Yes, but I'd rather enjoy them at _my_ shrine!"

Sakuya brought out her knives, stretching, getting ready for battle. "We know what you're up to, corpse, what reviving the Saigyou Ayakashi will do!"

"Ah, then you already know that I wish to revive the person below it. Then do you see why I need the boy?"

Marisa pointed and shouted at the ghost. "It isn't worth it! Don't you know what the tree will do?"

Yuyuko's smile widened. "Those are mere myths, my little witch."

Sakuya scoffed as she moved next to Reimu. The maid spoke as Marisa lined up as well.

"Haven't you given thought, corpse, that there's some truth to those myths?"

_This is a world where myths are reality!_

"You are lying, maid. " The ghost's smile lessened a bit, as she narrowed her eyes. "Nothing will happen. I've been assured as such from a friend."

Reimu scowled, obviously losing patience.

"Letty Whiterock? She's just using you to keep winter going!"

These three...standing up for me in the face of an opponent with a terrifying power...I held up the papers, wanting to be a part of that.

"Look, Miss Saigyouji! Look at these papers!"

A ghost shot forth from her, snatching the papers from my hand. That almost gave me a heart attack, to tell the truth. Yuyuko read them, her amused expression unwavering, until she got to the handwritten part. Her face saddened.

"...This handwriting...belongs to my former friend. I see."

_We were getting help from someone. But someone she knew?_

"Your friend?" I asked.

"I see that her betrayal knows no bounds."

The ghost closed her eyes.

"She sees fit to gather humans to put a stop to me. She sealed my doorway, tried to prevent my intentions. It's saddening that she hates me this much. I thought her to be a good friend. Letty was right."

That may have done more harm than good then. Yuyuko dropped the papers, her amused look coming back.

"But for her to send four mere humans against me is a bit confusing."

"Nobody sent me, ghost," Reimu blatantly said. "Nobody sends me out to resolve incidents."

Yuyuko either didn't hear or didn't care what the miko said.

"I can kill all of you with hardly any effort. Yet...you, Red-White. You wrote those rules of Danmaku, correct?"

Reimu paused a bit, apparently unnerved by the "I can kill all of you with hardly any effort" deal (I didn't blame her). She glanced at us a few times before responding to Yuyuko.

"I did."

The ghost chuckled lightly. Her attitude towards us was unnerving me as well. She was too cheerful before the battle. _This final boss is going to be powerful, isn't she?_

"Ah, how amusing. Attempting to alleviate the violence in Gensokyo, the deaths. Protecting humanity...that is what it was all about, correct? Because if we youkai banded together, humanity would never stand a chance. That is why you implemented this game."

Yuyuko took out a lunatic spell card. _Why is she still smiling that same carefree smile?!_

"Oh, I'll play with you three. But let's make this quick - a three on one match. Taking the time of going through you all one by one might be too time consuming. I would like for this to be over as soon as possible so I can take the boy and the essence of spring within him." Yuyuko dropped her cheerful tone, becoming serious. "Because I _will_ have him. I _will_ revive this person. And I _will_ regain my memories."

_You have too much confidence in yourself, lady. These three will tear you apart in Danmaku._

That thought was whatever hope I had left in my body. Her mannerisms were like we didn't really matter in the long run. Not in a sinister "you are nothing before me" way that you find in the mangas and anime series that had a long run, where the heroes of the story finally reach the person behind everything and they give a long monologue speech of how powerful they are.

This was different. This was for real. The way she acted was like we didn't matter - period. Yuyuko's smile widened as her playful side came back.

"Although, I will warn you. If you refrain from forfeiting the boy to me right now, I shall be forced to take the spring within your bodies as well. Youmu has told me of a barrier that activates when the boy gathers the blossoms. I can see it, you know. It seems that barrier leaves a trace of spring when he shares it with you. It is barely miniscule, but why stop at the boy?"

_So, wait, spring really is powering the healing barrier? That's...cool._ I would have been more impressed, under different circumstances - if I wasn't so scared of that woman. The last time someone pretty much scared me to death while smiling at me was with...well...Ryoko Asakura. Why do my thoughts keep going back to that knife-wielding psycho?

_Well, Asakura did manage to actually stab me. The memory of that pain is going to be with me for the rest of my life...which I hope extends beyond today!_

The three girls got into an aggressive position.

"Alright. Enough chitchat. We'll take back Gensokyo's spring!"

"We'll take back the warmth you stole, corpse!"

"You don't deserve such a pleasant spring, ze! And we ain't gonna let you take Kyon!"

I blinked, holding back tears. These three...these three girls. My heart ached that I couldn't fight the final boss with them; I was unable to. Then again, how would I go about fighting that final boss?

Yuyuko kept smiling as they flew up to her level. Thankfully I was on the ground.

"Very well, but there's no need to worry. When you are all dead, you'll be taken care of in my realm of paradise. Dog of the devil, Black Witch, and Red-White, you _will_ fall to me. I need the boy to sleep under the flowers."

_I don't want to sleep under the flowers! And don't talk so casually when you say "when you are all dead"!_

The ghosts surrounding her began to spin in opposite directions, throwing clockwise and counter-clockwise trails of danmaku at her opponents. Yuyuko was fast, moving, avoiding the shots from the three girls when they opened up.

Marisa reached into her pouch and shouted out: "Barrier time, ze!"

All three girls went towards me with the cherry blossoms. I held up my hand, and they all tagged me, getting the barrier around their bodies. As they did, I wanted to give them words of encouragement.

"Go get her!"

Wish I could have said something better though, something more dramatic, more encouraging. As it was, all I could do was be on the sideline for the final battle. I was relegated to a role as a cheerleader or something, even though I couldn't cheer even if I wanted to. This was a final battle for not only my life (which was a high priority in my eyes), but for the fate of Gensokyo, and possibly the world. The type of situation you would read about and only wish to be a part of, but when you get to actually experience them, they are nerve-wracking and not fun at all.

I should know.

The ghost's eyes narrowed in response to my barrier.

_"...Where have I seen that..."_

[SPELL CARD: LOSING HOMETOWN "LOST SOUL'S VILLAGE -SUICIDE-"]

The ghost didn't dwell on that for long. She finally used the spell card in her hand, and two wave patterns emerged from her sides, as well as a laser. The waves went out in front of her, criss-crossing, while the laser circled around her. The three girls didn't break a sweat dodging this, they kept moving, kept firing. Yuyuko laughed aloud as she dodged a wave of knives, amulets and lasers.

"Ah, you _are_ good at this game. I have been practicing myself as well. It is a lot of fun, isn't it? I have to thank you, Red-White."

The spell card depleted, a fan-like object appeared behind Yuyuko. It had a very ornate design on it. She spread her arms, crimson butterflies appearing on the fan, and thousands of shots came from them. The girls were immediately hit, but my barrier made sure it wasn't the end.

[SPELL CARD: DREAM SIGN "DUPLEX BARRIER"]

Reimu used a barrier spell card for the three girls as they kept up their attack. The miko was calling out holes in Yuyuko's patterns to the other two, leading them to the safe spots. The danmaku was actually so dense that I would lose sight of the girls now and then.

I half-expected to see one of them fall out of the sky, knocked out, but they still managed to survive in the bullet-hell that Yuyuko made in the air. The Ghost Mistress kept moving, none of the shots, not even the homing shots, even came near her.

During that time, I kind of started to back away from the fight, wanting to find a place to hide. Being out there in the open with that going on was possibly very bad for me. But I noticed something as I started to edge closer to the edge of the field. Crimson butterflies began to gather a ways before the walkway, directly in my path. I just stared at them for a while, before sidestepping. They "sidestepped", too. The closer I got, the more numerous they got. _Yeah, not liking this_. As I started to edge back towards the fight, the butterflies started to go away.

_Well, looks like I'm going to be stuck on the field here. Also, why am I in a position where I'm afraid of butterflies? Then again, they are crimson butterflies, symbols of death._

I also inwardly shook my head at the situation. I was there, trying to do the smart thing like get away from the battle, but I couldn't even do that. Just my luck.

[SPELL CARD: DEADLY DANCE "LAW OF MORTALITY -DEMON WORLD-"]

_Man, these spell cards sound really nasty. _And it was - that spell card of Yuyuko's gave out six walls of danmaku, going in a clockwise fashion around her. Bigger shots also appeared among them, and they homed in on their targets. Marisa was grazed by one and dropped a few meters before regaining control of her flight.

"_Son of a_ _frickin'-_!"

"_Marisa! You okay?_" I shouted out.

She shook her left hand, clenching her teeth. I could see her eyes get a bit teary from the pain.

"Yeah! I'm fine! Damn it, that stings like a mother!"

Sakuya and Reimu made their way through the barrage, and then were on opposite sides of Yuyuko, still firing. Yuyuko kept moving, eventually coming close to Reimu - the miko yelped as a crimson butterfly shot out and left a cut on her shoulder.

"Yargh! You stupid ghost!" Reimu clenched her teeth as she held onto the shoulder. That may have been a real attack. Anger in her eyes, Reimu brought out a spell card, calling out to the maid. "_Sakuya, use a barrier!_"

The two each used a spell card.

[SPELL CARD: DREAM SIGN "EVIL SEALING CIRCLE"]

[SPELL CARD: TIME SIGN "PERFECT SQUARE"]

The two barriers erected around the miko and the maid, forcing Yuyuko to have a narrow alley between them. She still moved, the two unable to hit her.

I knew what they were doing, pinning her in place. My heart leapt as Marisa flew right in front of Yuyuko holding the octagon thing. Reimu shouted at the witch.

"_Marisa! Light her up!_"

[SPELL CARD: LOVE SIGN "MASTER SPARK"]

The laser shot out from Marisa's octagon, going right for Yuyuko. The ghost just smiled and held out her hand-

Some of the ghosts surrounding Yuyuko shot forth, and absorbed Marisa's attack. The hope I had was shattered.

_Stupid cheap last boss!_

"_What!_"

"_That's not fair! We had you!_"

"I told you," the ghost grinned. "I will revive that person."

Yuyuko brought out another spell card as the two barriers ended, Reimu and Sakuya having to flee the area around her due to the butterflies. Yuyuko winked at us.

"Now, let us continue the game. I'm having _so_ much fun."

"_I've had it!_"

Sakuya's eyes glowed red, then went back to blue in the blink of an eye. Sakuya's body shuddered as she clutched her chest as she fell to the ground, gasping for air.

_Oh, crap...Yuyuko didn't just...did she?!_

Reimu and Marisa caught her, bringing her to me. Sakuya dropped to her knees when she was placed on the ground, still gasping, still clutching her chest, and she was turning white, her eyes rolling in the back of her head. We had to use another one of my barriers to heal her.

I grabbed her shoulders, wanting her to be okay, hoping that she wasn't about to die right in front of me there.

"Sakuya!"

The barrier reached into her, healing her. The maid caught her breath, as color returned to her skin. She blinked a few times, and swallowed hard.

_Thank you, healing barrier!_

We heard Yuyuko call out to us.

"That was a bad move, maid. We're not using full power here, remember? We are playing Danmaku."

Sakuya slowly stood back up, turning to the ghost wide-eyed. The maid's voice was shaky, and she still had her hand over her heart.

"You...you..."

"Like I said - we're playing a nice little game. Please refrain from using those powers I saw you use against my Youmu, otherwise I shall be forced to use my full power as well. The same goes for the Red-White and the Black-White." The ghost's eyes wandered over ours, making sure we heard and understood her. When it was obvious we did, she smiled her carefree smile, and cheerfully spoke. "Now, where were we?"

_She's toying with us. Damn it all, she's toying with us._

I understood what was going on. All four of us did. We couldn't win this battle. Not against something like her.

_Oh, God I'm actually going to die here, the world is going to end, and there is nothing we can do._

I stared into Yuyuko's eyes, deathly afraid. She kept smiling at me, winking again.

_Somebody please help me._

[SPELL CARD: FLOWERY SOUL "BUTTERFLY DELUSION"]

* * *

Remilia ran out to the wreck. It was extremely hard to see in that massive snowstorm. The servants were already hard at work digging, pushing, attempting to get to anyone in the rubble. None of their magical shots were working, they just simply bounced off due to the magical seals placed. Already a few live maids were being dragged out, but mostly, a whole slew of them were laid out. Meiling was attempting to lift an especially large piece of rubble with no effect. Remilia looked around, and saw the Library Assistant. In a midst of an immediate fit of anger, she grabbed the little devil.

"_What the Hell was Patchi doing in the East Wing?_"

The flustered familiar, who was already on the verge of tears, began to sob.

"_Tell me, God damn it!_"

"She...Lady Patchouli was tutoring one of the maid's children. And then this happened! I'm sorry!"

Remilia wanted to scream at her some more, but she couldn't bring herself to. Because she knew: if Patchi died, so would Koakuma. Remilia stared at the sobbing little devil, feeling a pang of guilt.

"Okay okay," Remilia said, her tone becoming less harsh. "Now, listen to me! Get something ready - First aid, a potion, a magic spell, or a deal with the devil himself, but get something ready to heal Patchi and have it ready within the next five minutes, okay? She's alive! I _know_ she is!"

Koakuma nodded, as Remilia let the poor assistant go and ran to Meiling. When the chief guard caught a glimpse of her master, she shouted out to her.

"Milady! We think Lady Patch is under here! I can't get this damn thing to budge though!"

Remilia joined her and pushed as well, her heart racing. She could sense her friend's heartbeat somewhere under that thing. The debris started to move, but not by much, the magical seals shining as they pushed, activating. Even the combined might of Remilia and Meiling couldn't do much against it.

"Damn house, why can't you-"

"Lady Flan?" Meiling blurted out.

Remilia looked up, shocked. Flandre was outside.

The sister of the Scarlet Devil stood there, staring at all the carnage. She noticed Remilia, and walked towards her.

"_Look out!_"

One of the maids screamed, as a part of the mansion was coming down, right on top of-

"_Flandre!_"

It came down in a disappearance of dust and snow. Remila screamed out to her sister.

"_Flaaaaaan!_"

When the dust cleared, Flandre stood there unscathed, a single fist in the air, the debris in pieces. Flandre stepped over it, and made her way to her sister and Meiling. She looked at the two of them, her expression blank. Her gaze went to the wreck they were trying to lift. The sister of the Scarlet Devil spoke - her voice was flat, unemotional.

"Patchi's down there. Alive. But she'll bleed out in a few minutes."

Without saying another word, Flandre pushed the two away, grabbed the part of the mansion with one hand, and effortlessly lifted it up, the seals shattering. Flandre turned her head to the guard.

"Meiling. Go. Now."

The chief guard, still finding ways to be amazed by the power of Flandre, nodded and ducked inside.

* * *

"Lady Patch? _Lady Patch!"_

Meiling saw her after a little ways down a broken hallway, the Librarian/Tutor giving off a little light from the palm of her hand. She was still alive!

It wasn't until Meiling saw the scene that her heart sank.

Two fairies, one a maid, the other a juvenile, were forming a protective shell over Patchouli, debris on their shoulders. A piece of debris piercing through the head of the kid, while another piercing through the mother's heart, which in turn pierced into Patchouli's side. The Librarian laid still, blood coming from her mouth. She was doing her best not to show the pain she was in, but couldn't really. She blinked a few times when she saw Meiling.

"Hey...hey Lady Patch. Looking good there..."

"...Liar."

Meiling gave another look at the two fairies. Patchouli coughed.

"They...they tried to protect me."

"Yeah... That they did."

"I tried to...protect them. My seals...didn't last..."

Patchouli coughed again, blood coming out. She clenched her teeth, clearly straining to not show how much pain she was in.

_I gotta move fast. Those faries' bodies will disappear soon._

It was troublesome, really. When youkai die, they don't leave a body behind. They quickly became dust. Meiling began to move some of the debris that were between her and the magician.

"I've been hearing them...the shots...trying to clear...the rubble..."

"Hey, don't speak."

"My magical seals...I've...tried to dispel them...can't...not strong enough..."

"They saved more people. The mansion didn't collapse right away."

"...How...how many...are stuck...how man...many can't be saved...because of me..."

"No, it's okay. It's okay. You saved a lot of servants."

Meiling sized up the situation. If she simply took that piece of debris sticking out of Patchouli, the librarian would bleed out even quicker. So if Meiling was going to move her, it would have to be quick, _and_ with the debris still in Patchouli. The guard would have to break off the piece, possibly through the mother. She'd have to hurry up - the kid was turning to dust already, and the rubble was shifting.

"Okay, Imma get you out of this. Just...don't worry, okay?"

"Yeah...yeah."

* * *

Remilia stood there, watching the hole where Meiling had disappeared into. If Patchi died like this-

_No! Patchi can't die! She's always getting sick, always weak, but she still survives!_ She had, for the past hundred years.

A hundred years. A fraction of the vampire's life. But Patchouli had been a friend of Remilia's for that fraction, longer than any other.

Remilia knew some youkai were too strong to be killed, that unless killed just right, they could just come back, but she didn't know if that applied to Patchi, and didn't want to chance it. Patchi was a youkai, even though she didn't like the term.

Remilia could control fate. Unconsciously, but she could control it. So why did this happen? Why was her best friend bleeding out? Why was this happening to her friend, her servants, her mansion? Why was this happening to her? How did she lose control?

"_I got her!_"

All the doubts she was having, all those thoughts, were wiped away as the vampire heard her chief guard. Remilia's eyes teared up as Meiling came from the shadows carrying Patchouli in her arms. Blood was coming from Patchi's mouth, and she had a piece of broken wood sticking out from her side, but she was alive. Meiling ran back with the librarian to the mansion, where Koakuma awaited. Flandre dropped the wreck, and started to walk back to the house, her face still blank.

"Flan?"

The little sister turned to Remilia.

"Nobody else is alive. Call them off."

"But where are you going?"

"To my room."

Remilia stared into Flandre's eyes, and was a bit unnerved by Flandre's unusual moment of absolute clarity, of when she got like this.

_I haven't seen her this focused in ages. Even in that broken mind of hers, she knew what was going on._

She gave her a hug. Remilia felt a tear run down her cheek.

"Thank you so much."

Flandre slowly returned the hug, patting her sister.

"Hey...Patchi's my friend, too, Remi."

Remilia stood out there for a while longer, embracing Flandre, feeling emotionally exhausted, eventually staring up into the uncaring snowstorm that continued to pound away at the mansion. The structure kept moaning, more and more weight added to the roof.

"Sakuya, Kyon. Hurry up. That's an order."

* * *

The Yuki-Onna passed by the home of the puppeteer, just to make sure, and was surprised when she was still alive. The puppeteer still had a measure of body heat, of life. Whiterock went down, and grabbed her by the throat. It wasn't until then that she stared into her eyes that she saw it - the puppeteer wasn't human; she was a youkai. Part of Letty wondered - why didn't she see it before? No...she knew she was a youkai. Wait. What's wrong? She knew, but forgot.

Letty shook her head, trying to clear up again. Her memory was cloudy - too much haze. The puppeteer coughed, causing Letty to squeeze, the puppeteer's eyes rolling in the back of her head, making a choking sound as she weakly struggled against the Yuki-Onna-

_Killtheboykilltheboykilltheb oykilltheboykilltheboykillth eboykilltheboykilltheboykill theboykilltheboykilltheboyki lltheboykilltheboykilltheboy killtheboykilltheboykilltheb oykilltheboy_

Still holding onto the girl, Letty continued on her way.

_Killtheboykilltheboykilltheb oykilltheboy_WAKEUPTHISISN'TRIGHTTHISISN'TMEWAKEUP_killtheboykilltheboykilltheb oykilltheboy_I'MNOTLIKETHISSOMEONEPLEASEWAK EMEUP_killtheboy_

Letty felt a tear being shed, but she did nothing to wipe it away.

* * *

In the back of my mind, I registered that it had begun to rain there in the afterlife. I'd ask questions about it raining in the realm of the dead, but, yet again, it never is the time to ask such questions when something much bigger and more pressing is happening, is it?

The miko, the witch, and the maid huddled around me, nearly out of breath. They had just managed to somehow survive a near-nontstop barrage from Yuyuko. That spell card she used had a standard spread shot from her, among some ghosts that were homing in on the three. The ghosts would go to a location, fragment into an explosion of danmaku, contract, and repeat. My three companions were grazed multiple times by trying to dodge those as well as the flurry of the spread shots, and it took a lot out of their stamina. Yuyuko kept simply blocking their shots as she attacked, nothing hitting her at all, not even a graze.

"Damn it all. Can't even build up enough power to seal her up," Reimu tiredly said. "Every time I do, I feel a pain in my heart. We can't...we can't beat her."

Marisa gulped down the last of the coffee that was in the thermos in-between gasps for air.

"Okay...so when...did we...lose...control of...this game, ze."

_Interesting that when Marisa is tired, she still finds the energy to add a "ze" to the end of some of her sentences._

Marisa gave me another handful of blossoms, getting another barrier going, and giving themselves a little extra boost of energy. I swallowed hard, seeing how tired they all were.

_I can't believe it's going to end like this. The only ones who can protect me are going to lose...and I'm gonna die here._

_Damn it. Can't think like that._

Reimu clenched her fists, frustrated.

"We lost control of it because she's no longer playing the game fairly. _This_ is why I instigated the rules of Danmaku, and why everyone needs to oblidge by them! Otherwise over-powered people could just stand there, and spam cheap attacks like this, or call down the Gods to do their work or whatever! It would be no real skill on their part, they wouldn't have any honor what so ever! Danmaku is supposed to even the playing field!"

_The rules are not doing us any good right now!_

She glared at Sakuya and I especially.

"Which is why I don't feel sorry for Alice."

_Now you have to talk to us about that?_

"This isn't the time, Reimu!"

"Oh, it's a perfect time," she blurted out, jabbing a finger in my chest. "I saw you two looking at me like that, especially you, Kyon! I'm not a bully! Alice just hasn't refined her skill enough! She's too emotional in a battle, despite that front she puts up!"

"Please, ze!" Marisa said as she grabbed Reimu's jabbing finger, getting between me and the miko. "Let's worry about the ghost trying to do us in!"

_We can't be fighting each other right now! It isn't the time!_

Sakuya shook her head as she viewed her remaining spell cards. I could see a flash of hopelessness in her eyes.

"She's wearing us out...we're going to lose... I don't even think I have enough strength to dodge another few waves."

The maid looked up at me, steeling her gaze.

"But I'm not going to stop. Mistress Remilia ordered me to protect you, Kyon."

"Why?"

Sakuya had a little grin.

"Kind of a compensation, you know, for being her meal for a quarter of a year. Her way of thanking you. The Scarlet Devil always rewards those who serve her."

In my case, I was served _to_ her. _Yeah, it makes me feel so much better Sakuya, thanks for telling me that. _I would have told her that, but since she was putting herself out there, fighting for me, I couldn't. Reimu looked as if she was going to say something, but instead shook her head.

"Shall we continue our battle, humans?" we heard Yuyuko say. "Or have you been discussing to forfeit the boy?"

_Oh, screw you. I've already had it with your carefree attitude in this battle!_

We all turned to Yuyuko, who had that same carefree smile. The girls staggered to a line in front of me as Reimu let out a forced chuckle.

"Battle? This isn't a battle. It's a farce."

"I told you. I shall play with you, but I need the boy."

"You aren't playing fairly!"

"The boy is too important to me to wager, Red-White. I am indeed sorry, but I will have him, and I will regain my memories. Now, let's resume."

She extended her arms, the symbol materializing behind her again. The mass of glowing butterflies returned, this time in even greater number. The girls each held out a spell card , but they didn't get a chance to use them.

"Time for the game to end," Yuyuko said ever-so-cheerfully. "And time for me to regain my memories!"

[SPELL CARD: CHERRY BLOSSOM SIGN "PERFECT CHERRY BLOSSOM OF SUMIZOME -BLOOM-"]

Everything hit their targets, who didn't have a chance. Reimu, Sakuya, and Marisa, thrown into the air by the first wave, were juggled by the danmaku fired by Yuyuko. They landed behind me without even trying to break their fall. Marisa landed awkwardly, some of her items spilling out all over the place.

All I could do was yell "_No!_" when I saw the girls laying there, still breathing, but essentially motionless. My blood turned to ice - the girls down, I backed up, as Yuyuko floated towards me. She still smiled, extending her hand.

"It's over. Now, young man, please give yourself to me."

_Oh, God, now what the hell do I do?!_

"There is no need to worry. This isn't going to hurt."

_That's the least of my worries!_

To say that fear overtook me would be right on the button. I didn't know what to do with myself, my hands nervously moving around, wondering how to defend myself against this woman. My hands went over the pocket that had..._wait. Cold? What's cold?_ I pulled out the spell card I had. Yuyuko stopped when she saw it.

"Oh, the little boy wants to battle? Fufufu. Very well. I shall give you the chance."

As the ghost continued to smile at me, I looked over the blue card, which was icy to the touch, the inscriptions somewhat sloppily written, as expected from the-

_The Ice Fairy. Cirno. It's the spell card we captured this morning._

My mind started to work, everything becoming clearer, the events from the day passing through my eyes, but in a certain order, showing me what had to be the solution. I knew what to do. Spring. Stealing spring, collecting it all.

It hit me. I just shook my head at it, unable to believe it.

_This is going to work. This has to work. Otherwise I'm dead._

I held it up, saying the incantation. _Please let me be able to use this!_

Nothing happened. My barriers never gave me any sort of magical powers. So much for Patchouli's theory!

"Poor boy. Not able to defend yourself."

I kept backing up, trying to think of something else, almost tripping on...Marisa's flask?

_Mushroom vodka. Mushrooms. Mushrooms from the Forest of Magic. Great for potions, and..._

_Granting magical power. Holy crap this is going to work._

I picked it up, almost bewildered. It was always like this, wasn't it? I'm useless, but when it came down to it, everything aligns perfectly, and I could shake even existence to its core. All I had to do was take into account of everything that had been presented to me, and make my choices accordingly.

I wasn't looking forward to that choice though. Memories of Sakuya's reaction to the drink was still fresh in my mind. I opened the flask, and brought it to my mouth. My stomach was going to be mad at me for this!

I drank the Mushroom Vodka, and didn't stop until it was empty. It burned, the vapor going into my nostrils and stinging. My eyes were watering! Gulping it all down, I immediately gagged.

And I won't even get into the horrible taste.

"(I let out multiple curses at this point, all of which I don't think I'll repeat, even if they were justified), _how does Marisa think this is good?_"

Dropping the flask, and shaking my head in an attempt to get rid of the effects of the alcohol, I held up the spell card again, reading it. The lettering began to glow as I went through the incantation, the air around me lowering in temperature.

By the way, temperature lowering while it was raining? Not fun.

In the corner of my eye, I saw that Reimu had crawled to Marisa, grabbing the pouch of cherry blossoms, readying another handful. Amazing she was still conscious! A handful of blossoms in her possession, she gave me a half-awake gaze - it was obvious she was having trouble just doing this. She glanced at Yuyuko, and the card I had, nodding. She knew what to do. _This is going to be tight timing..._

[SPELL CARD: ICE SIGN "ICICLE FALL ~ EASY"]

A mist formed around me, which in turn were forming into icicles. _ I'm doing it! This is actually happening! I'm casting magic! _

I was casting magic. At that point, I had a newfound respect for mushrooms, of all things.

Yuyuko smiled at the icicles.

"Oh? Is that it?"

She held out her hand to shield herself as the icicles began to move to the sides, changing directions. They then quickly shot forward.

Yuyuko didn't have to shield herself. She was too close, and they missed her.

"Hmmm? Little boy, are-"

I couldn't help but smile at her. A flash of confusion went through her eyes, her smile disappearing in response. She knew something was up.

"Just what..."

Yuyuko trailed off as she heard it behind her. Her eyes narrowing, she slowly turned, Reimu taking that as the cue to throw the handful. I ran to the blossoms, gathering them as the ghost was distracted, and began to bring the girls to their feet. I heard the ghost gasp.

"Ah."

Just like that morning, when the Ice Fairy used that spell card against Sakuya and I, it missed its target. And just like that morning, the icicles were hitting the flora, well, the Saigyou Ayakashi - cutting off branches, freezing it, damaging it.

Killing it, I hoped. Even though it was supposed to be knockout magic, the icicles still froze the target. And freezing a tree is not so good for said tree.

"...Wha..._Wha...What are you doing?!_" Yuyuko shouted._ "You'll ruin everything!_"

_If it was your intention to kill me, then it was my intention to ruin whatever you were planning._

Yuyuko flew up to where the icicles were hitting the tree, at least, that's what I saw in the corner of my eye as I went about activating the barriers around the girls. Wow, I took a chance there. I was afraid Yuyuko was simply going to kill me to stop the spell card, but it seemed she deemed saving the tree from the immediate damage more important.

There was something different about the barriers surrounding the four of us, though. They were a bevy of colors, with additional symbols, as if it was more powerful.

"What in the world is this?" asked Reimu as I helped her up.

"Feeling good, ze!"

The girls were fully revived, no longer tired.

"What happened to Kyon?" Sakuya said as she slowly got up. "What's with the barrier?"

Marisa held up the empty flask, grinning from ear-to-ear.

"You tried the Mushroom Vodka, didn't you? Gotta be the barriers reaction to the magic power in ya! I told ya you got to trust the fungus, ze!"

"Marisa," I said, "that Mushroom Vodka was just _nasty_."

She raised an eyebrow and put her hands on her hips.

"Kyon, c'mon! Give it a chance! It's an acquired taste!"

_How the heck could that be tasty for anyone? Especially since its slimey going down! It's still in my throat!_

Reimu scoffed and shook her head at the barriers surrounding us.

"Magic, cherry blossoms from the realm of the dead, and the blessings of a God. Amazing that everything aligned the way it did."

I didn't want to knock it. Whatever was happening with me was working just fine. Not going to look a gift horse in the mouth there. However, I spent the next few seconds trying to spit out that horrible taste. Sadly, it wouldn't go away for another minute or so.

Yuyuko was flustered, torn apart about what to do. She kept trying to hold off the icicles, but she would move to one side, only to have the other side open up. It was as if she had completely forgotten about us as she was trying to save the tree. I couldn't help but stare in disbelief at that enemy who had seconds before seemed unstoppable.

Sakuya twirled knives in both her hands. I knew she wanted a piece of Yuyuko for what she did earlier.

"Well, ladies, this corpse wanted to play a game, so let's finish it!"

"You don't have to tell me twice, maid," said Reimu as she readied a spell card. "Time to end this and bring spring back to Gensokyo!"

"Let's put this ghost _down_!" shouted Marisa as she brought up a spell card.

Awesome. The girls used their homing attacks at the same time.

[SPELL CARD: SPIRIT SIGN "FANTASY SEAL ~ CONCENTRATE"]

[SPELL CARD: ILLUSION SIGN "KILLING DOLL"]

[SPELL CARD: MAGIC SIGN "MILKY WAY"]

Yuyuko never saw it coming; she was still too busy trying to save the tree. The three homing attacks slammed her against the trunk and pinned her there, so she was getting hit by my icicles as well. All four of our spell cards were on her. Yuyuko didn't even make a sound as the danmaku pounded into her body.

When they were done, she laid there up against the trunk, her eyes closed. It was over - we knocked her out. Marisa pumped her fist.

"Woo! Got her! We got her!"

Reimu sagged her shoulders, hands on her knees, and let out a sigh. Still, she smiled, staring back up at the ghost.

"When she wakes back up, I'm going to get her to personally give us back the spring, and then maybe seal her up for good."

"Not before I get my knives under her fingernails," said Sakuya. "That heart attack hurt. But that's one thing that I don't understand, Reimu. We've been looking for 'spring', but how-"

* * *

Kazami opened her eyes, a feeling of dread coming over her.

_By the Gods. It's happening._

She felt it. She knew that one of the triggers happened. Either enough spring had been given, or the one under the tree was stirred. The one underneath that was mentioned by the tree.

Either scenario only meant one thing.

Reblooming.

* * *

The ground trembled a bit, the vibrations barely noticeable, but noticeable for Sakuya to not finish what she was going to say. Reimu looked up, eyes narrowing. She did appear more than concerned.

"You feel that?"

Marisa raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, the ground shook."

"No..." Reimu spoke, almost at a whisper. She took a few steps forward, towards the tree. "Not that...something...else."

Besides the rain getting heavier, it did feel like something was different Something was very, _very_ wrong there - the sky was getting darker, or was that just the area we were in? I also felt the wind of this place picking up. The ground trembled again, even stronger. For a second, a scenario played through my head of what might be happening.

_Oh, please don't do this to us. That's too cliché for a final boss fight._ Then again, nothing is cliché when it's happening to you, right?

For some reason, each of us turned to the tree, as if we knew. I think we knew what was going on. What was that saying again? The worst thing that can happen, will happen? Something like that. Oh, wait, that's right - Murphy's law. "What can go wrong, will go wrong."

The branches of the tree started to sway, slowly at first, but it started to gain speed.

_Why is there a light coming from the tree where it's making contact with Yuyuko?_

_What the f-_

A force came from the tree, knocking us off our feet. Yuyuko was sent flying over us, and she landed on the walkway (_wow, she was launched far_), still out. The four of us quickly got back up, facing the tree, all of us wide-eyed.

_It couldn't have...no...dammit no. Don't tell me it's actually going to happen._

"_Girls?_"

_There's no way._

The tree itself was starting to move. In front of it, dirt was being displaced, turned over, until a mass of roots came up, tangled around-

_You have to be kidding._

A body. A perfectly preserved body that showed no signs of decay, despite being a thousand years old and having her throat slashed open. Her pink hair was caked in dirt, which was being washed out by the rain. Her dried blood still stained her light blue kimono, but it didn't cover her face.

Her face. It was easy to identify who she was. I stared in disbelief, wishing it wasn't that easy. I felt myself start to slowly back away from this, and at the edge of my vision, I saw Sakuya and Marisa do the same.

_Well, I didn't expect this to be the case._

And how could I? How could I expect it? I didn't even give much thought to whoever was buried beneath the Ayakashi, whomever it was who sacrificed themselves to seal the tree away. But there she was before me. A full bodied Japanese woman in a light blue kimono with dark trim and wavy pink hair.

This woman whom I just met that day.

_Oh, the irony. You couldn't write it any better for a story._

Yuyuko Saigyouji.

We looked back at the body...no, the ghostly..._wait, this is confusing_! The ghost Yuyuko was knocked out behind us, and the body of Yuyuko was being dangled in front of us by the roots of the tree. I don't know how I brought myself to speak, but I did.

"She was the one! The one in that story! She sacrificed herself to seal away the tree!"

Everything aligned together perfectly. A sacrifice, a threat that needed to be kept down. All a thousand years ago. That gave way to my next thought, the reality and seriousness of our situation.

_She just undid what she did long ago! We are so screwed!_

The eyes of the body of Yuyuko opened, staring at us with its dead eyes.

_"...sssstop...it...it's...waaakinnnggg...up...please...sssstop it...iiiiit wantssss your sssssoulssssss..."_

_Oh, man we are so freaking screwed!_

Her weak plea brought unimaginable fear to my body, as life began to return to the tree, the frost falling off, reversing the withering effect the ice did to it earlier. Little buds started to form on the branches. The roots of the tree shivered, curled, moved. Burrowing under us.

_I'll be surprised if I make it out of Gensokyo and not have any nightmares._

Sakuya let out a curse, the fear in _her_ voice almost overwhelming.

"It's reviving! _Why is it reviving_?"

_It's time for the Final Boss's second form, isn't it?_ Reimu shouted to all of us as she brought out a few amulets.

"_Run_! All of you! Get out of here!"

"Reimu! But-"

She turned to us, the fear in her eyes apparent. I couldn't blame her - especially since the body of Yuyuko was still making weak pleas for us to reseal the tree. _I am going to have so many nightmares if I survive._

"Get out of here! _Now!_ I'll take care of this!"

Marisa shook her head.

"No! I'll just get Kyon somewhere safe, then I'm coming right back!" Marisa motioned for me to go with her. "C'mon! Let's go!"

Don't call me a coward, but that situation wasn't my place. I went with her.

Marisa and I ran to the edge of the field, towards ghost Yuyuko, who was still laying on the walkway, still out cold. We felt a rumbling beneath us, causing me to lose my footing. Marisa rushed over to pick me up.

"Get up!"

Roots shot up in front of us, blocking - no, not merely blocking. The roots shot up all around the edge of the field, flying into the air, curving.

"You _got_ to be kidding me!"

Wow, was I saying/thinking that a lot.

"_Come on!_"

Marisa shoved the broom between my legs, and we went up.

"No!"

That was Marisa. You see, the roots reached above, forming a perfect dome of the field around the tree, way faster than we could have flown. We were out of the rain, at least, but I'd rather be soaked than in that situation. For a brief moment, we were in complete darkness. I brought out my flashlight, but the tree radiated light.

_Oh for crying out loud!_

We were stuck in there, stuck being the first people who would have to watch the re-blooming of the Saigyou Ayakashi. And from the looks of things, it would be soon. The buds were moving, growing. Marisa stared at the tree.

"This thing is gonna kill us if it starts blooming!"

We watched as Reimu threw some amulets at the tree, but they caught on fire and burned out before they reached it. Sakuya's knives were cutting off some of the blossoms, but some of those danmaku knives were also shattering in midair. My grip on Marisa tightened as I spoke.

"Well, what now?"

Marisa brought out Cirno's pack of spell cards.

"Kyon! You got any magic left? Freeze the stupid thing!"

I couldn't truthfully say if I had any magic left, but I couldn't argue with her plan. Ice did seem to have an effect on it the first time.

Before I could grab them, the tree screamed. I'll say that again. The tree screamed. A shockwave of sound came from the tree, and the two of us dropped out of flight when it washed over us. The spell cards fell to the ground, lost somewhere in the upturned dirt. All I had was the Icicle Fall. We were somewhat high up, and we hit the field pretty hard, but the loose, wet dirt made for a softer landing. Slowly getting back up, I could see the buds getting even bigger. Marisa quickly hopped up.

"Ah, to hell with it! Blast the tree!"

The girls prepared to open fire-

Another shockwave, and no shots came from my companions.

"What the hell is it doing?" shouted Sakuya.

"I think those shockwaves disrupt magic for a bit, ze!"

Sakuya's eyes glowed red.

"Then I won't give it the time to stop me!"

A flurry of knife danmaku appeared before Sakuya, and they all flew right at the buds, cutting them off some of the branches. It didn't do the job, because the tree swayed those branches, getting the knives to miss, and another shockwave shattered the rest of the knives in the air. Marisa raised her octagon thing, and fired her laser at it, making sweeping motions, which burned the branches it made contact with. Again, the tree swayed the branches to save the buds. Reimu tried using her amulets. Some of the amulets stuck to the branches, and for that branch, all the buds were set on fire. More branches were burned, buds destroyed, but it wouldn't be enough, it wouldn't be. The tree was too big. The girls only destroyed half of the buds.

The rest of the buds were opening. The damn buds were opening.

_Oh, my God, it's happening._

"_They're blooming!_"

"Don't look!"

Another shockwave, and I saw the light intensify, the buds twisting open. Reimu and Sakuya both threw their arms in front of their eyes, and I followed suit. I held up my arm, trying to shield my eyes, looking at the ground.

Truth be told, that was one of the scariest moments in my life. If I laid eyes on the blooming tree, I would lose myself, allow myself to be consumed, and have my soul stolen by it. I knew this. Nothing would have gotten me to turn towards it.

...Is what I want to say. But I saw a pair of shoes starting to slowly walk towards the tree. A broom fell into my vision.

_Oh, no._

I reacted. Normally, I think I would have acted in self-preservation, but I reacted. I reached for her, grabbing onto her dress, trying to stop her. I was dragged off my feet. On the ground, I grabbed her again, still trying not to look up.

"_Marisa!_"

* * *

The woman awoke. Something was wrong. She couldn't tell what it was, but something was wrong. She got up and out, noticing Chen passed out in the entryway. The woman grabbed her parasol out of pure habit and went outside. It was snowing heavier than she would have liked. She called it, the calm before the storm, and there it was in full force. But what about that feeling?

The feeling she hadn't felt since...

A thousand years ago.

_No. It can't be. By the Gods. It's awake._

She started to berate herself. She knew her plan was a long shot, they all were. Always had too many variables, but she did kind of like it like that, throwing in a bit of chaos. Her way of doing things through agents and giving them the freedom to perform their tasks had rarely failed her. Because let's face it - what enemy plans for chaos?

But for something like this? No, she took into account what would happen if it woke up, but for it to wake up and send an energy signal like this?

What happened? What was different? It was the interference by the Sky Canopy Domain, wasn't it? It added an unknown variable to the plan.

_Damn it, no. The Sky Canopy Domain are doing their own thing...the ones up there will be consumed. It'll get back down here...and it'll consume the world. And if it consumes Suzumiya..._

She stood there, staring up at the sky, where Hakugyokurou was, hoping for it not to be true, that it wouldn't come to pass.

"Lady Yukari?"

Her shikigami came back, the fox woman a bit harried from flying in this storm. Yukari Yakumo composed herself before asking her servant.

"Ran, do you feel it, too?"

Ran couldn't help but sag her shoulders, the look of defeat apparent.

"I don't know what I could have done. I've helped them along, watched over them until they got there, but I couldn't follow them in. And it's getting even worse. I'm sorry, but, I think we lost."

Yukari felt the dread, and had to swallow hard. It broke her heart to be there in that situation. For her to lose her best friend Yuyuko twice in one lifetime was eating Yukari up.

"It's okay. We couldn't have known this would have happened. It's altered somehow. Something is wrong. Whatever's going on up there is new - it's not supposed to fully bloom. It was only supposed to go to 80%, but it's fully bloomed right now. The timeline's been changed, and now everything might end. That damn Sky Canopy Domain. What have they done..."

Yukari almost didn't hear herself speak, as the wind roared, the snowstorm building up even stronger.

* * *

Lyrica shook her head in disappointment with herself. Her favorite keyboard was smashed. Served her right for bringing it though - Lunasa and Merlin were smart enough to bring instruments that were a bit worn in, and weren't their favorites into a battle. Lyrica would have to settle for her own backups until she could find a new favorite-

Something shot right past her. The sisters looked up, a white streak going into the rift, ice covering the opening right after it went in.

They let something else in. Maybe they weren't cut out for the door guard type. The Prismrivers flew up to the solidified rift, banging on it, trying to get it open. Without their instruments to attack, they couldn't do much against this ice. Instruments...Lyrica had an idea.

"Merlin! Your broken trumpet! Let's use the pieces to chip it away!"

* * *

The snowstorm had to be howling. Cirno gazed out the window in awe of nature's sheer power with the cold. Or was it Letty's? She couldn't really tell anymore. She'd known about Letty for years, and while she was able to manipulate the cold...this year was completely different. She had gotten stronger somehow. Able to increase the potency of winter, making it last longer. She mentioned the myth of the spring fairy once, but Cirno couldn't remember what she said.

Just the way Wriggle said that earlier...about her hanging out with Letty. Well, why not? Cirno liked the cold, and Letty was a snow ghost.

Yet, wasn't it Letty who asked Cirno to deal with those two, the boy and the maid? And then there was that rage, that increase in power. What was that all about? But it disappeared when Cirno got hit by that laser.

Cirno was about to kill those three during that time. It was still weird, looking back at it. What happened to her to make her want to kill them? I mean, yeah, they kicked her butt.

Cirno scratched her head. What was she thinking about earlier? Oh, right. Wriggle and her tone when talking about Letty. Cirno didn't like it, but...no. She didn't want to think about it. Letty couldn't be involved. I mean, yeah, having extra winter was awesome, but- no, can't think like that. No more "but"s. She refused to believe that Letty had anything to do with this.

_But then again, what happened last year?_

Letty took Cirno aside last year, last year when Letty really started to talk to Cirno. Cirno always would see the Yuki-Onna each winter, and thought her to be so cool. The way she would get the snowflakes to dance in the air for her own amusement was just so awesome, so worthwhile to see, even from afar.

But yeah, what she said last year, last year when she finally got to play with Letty. At the end of winter, Letty took her aside. Cirno was sad that Letty would be going away until the next winter. Where she went, Cirno didn't know. But Letty told her that each of the seasons were important, that it would be selfish to keep the seasons going longer than they should. Cirno protested, of course, saying how neat it would be to have winter going just a little while longer...

Cirno continued to be lost in her thoughts as the snowstorm pounded away at Gensokyo.

* * *

-begin-

DANGER.

Unknown Entity SAIGYOU AYAKASHI revived.

Preparing team should it attempt to consume our world instead of GENSOKYO.

-Kuyou Suou

-end-

* * *

-URGENT UPDATE-

REVIEWING TOOL LETTY WHITEROCK'S ACTIONS HAVE GIVEN US INSIGHT ON WHAT HAPPENED.

TOOL LETTY WHITEROCK MADE CONTACT WITH UNKNOWN ENTITY SAIGYOU AYAKASHI IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THE DATA ALTERATION OF DIRECTING THE CHERRY BLOSSOMS AND THE SPRING NEEDED FOR REVIVAL ELSEWHERE.

UNKNOWN ENTITY SAIGYOU AYAKASHI LEECHED [REDACTED] FROM TOOL LETTY WHITEROCK.

UNKNOWN ENTITY SAIGYOU AYAKASHI HAS [REDACTED] REACTION TO [REDACTED].

UNKNOWN ENTITY NOW EXHIBITS [REDACTED], SIMILAR TO [REDACTED].

REQUESTING MORE TEAMS TO DEAL WITH THE THREAT, AS IT NOW JEOPORDIZES OUR OWN TARGET AS WELL AS ENEMY TARGET HARUHI SUZUMIYA.

-Kuyou Suou

-end-

* * *

-update-

Projections made.

Teams will not be ready in time.

Unknown Entity SAIGYOU AYAKASHI will [DATA CORRUPTED].

Preparing to extract our own target and assets to a safer location in the universe.

-end-

* * *

**Among some of the players of Touhou, they admit that the resurrection of Human Yuyuko was one of the best gaming moments of all time, especially when they didn't know it was going to happen. I mean, you just took her on in an epic battle...and then you think you defeated her. For a few seconds, nothing happens.**

**Until you realize that she still has a health bar.**

**And then she comes back. In that part, you can NOT hurt Yuyuko. All you can do is try to survive for 66 seconds for the final attack to time out. AND WHAT AN ATTACK.**


	10. ICB Episode 10 Warm

**Such a sad existence. To spend your afterlife having to watch over the very thing you killed yourself to seal away. **

**The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is owned by Nagaru Tanigawa. Touhou Project is owned by ZUN and Team Shanghai Alice. I own neither. This is a fan fiction of those works.**

**Beta Readers for this Episode(Alphabetical Order):**

**Serendipital**

**superstarultra**

* * *

I wish I wasn't in that situation. Heck, I wish I wasn't in a lot of situations. Asakura almost killing me, the end of the world, the remaking of the world, that snow mansion, the fact that the world could have ended over a mere baseball game, and I'm sure the list will go on and on in the future, with who I deal with and all. Thing is, when they're over, and you've survived them, they're not that bad when you look back on them. Like maybe a bad shift at work, or in my case, a bad day at school. You want them over as soon as possible because it feels like you can't take it anymore, but you can get through them if you just push yourself.

Like then. Well, not like then, since I was in a combat situation, fighting for my life, and for the lives of the rest of the world against a genocidal tree that went around eating people's souls.

You know what, that was a bad way to go into it. A bad day at school had _nothing_ to do with what I was doing. _A__bsolutely nothing._ My analogy doesn't work for that at all, does it? Forgive me.

Anyway, where was I?

Right. The Saigyou Ayakashi and the never-ending winter.

Well, in a way, I can now look back and see some similarities to what I said earlier. My musings of Ragnarok proved quite accurate, didn't they? I might be reading too much into it, but it still bothers me how...close, even just somewhat, it all was. At least the Norse Mythological weapons used in Ragnarok that are owned by the Scarlet sisters weren't in play - the spears owned by Odin and Loki: Gungnir and Laevateinn, respectively.

It's scary, thinking about the similarities. Still, in a way, it was pretty awesome to be a part of something resembling Norse Mythology in a Japanese setting, despite that mythology being the end of days and all.

Fimbulvetr, the never-ending winter. What's sealed away, the Ayakashi, which might be some sort of Fenrir, the sealed wolf that destroys. We were in an afterlife...and you have the Norse afterlife, Valhalla. Yggdrasil, the tree of life as a symbol...

Except the tree we were dealing with wasn't a tree of life. It was a tree of death.

* * *

******Imperfect Cherry Blossom**

**E****pisode 10**

**["Warm"]**

* * *

_**"Remembering the Melancholy of Human Existance.**_

_**Even Ghosts stray from the path of Righteousness."**_

**- Touhou 7, Perfect Cherry Blossom - Yuyuko's Revival**

* * *

_**"I pray that I might die beneath the flowers in spring when the moon is full."**_

**- The Poet Saigyou, the supposed first victim of the Saigyou Ayakashi**

* * *

_Oh, please no._

I kept tugging on her dress, screaming her name, trying not to look. She kept walking forward.

"_Marisa! Please! Don't go towards it!_"

She didn't answer. Just kept walking. Sakuya shouted out.

"Marisa! Please don't!"

"_Marisa! Wake up! Marisa!_"

In the limited vision I gave myself with my arms, I saw Reimu blindly try to grab at Marisa. But she couldn't, as she wasn't anywhere near the path of the witch.

"Kyon! Stop her!"

Tears started to stream from in my eyes as I struggled to hold on to her, to try anything I could to stop her from going towards it. _This girl, this girl who I just barely met today. This girl who had taken me into the air to fly. She had given me a childhood dream. Now...now she's in danger of __dying right in front of me. I'm not gonna let that happen!_

What happened next kind of put all that on the proverbial back burner. Pretty strange, even by my S.O.S. Brigade standards.

_**Lethergo.**_

That's right, the tree started to talk to me. Telepathically, I think, since nobody else seemed to hear it. Yeah, I know - trees aren't supposed to talk. Well, this is my weird, wacky life we're talking about. Talking cats...why not talking trees as well?

_**Lethergolethercometome.**_

_You gotta be kidding me._

I wished someone _was_ kidding me. That would have made my life a whole lot more manageable. It would be nice to know that my life was just a wild fiction. Then again, if my life is just a lie...ah, forget that. Don't need to even consider that headache. That being said, I want to say that the tree talking to me was one of the weirdest things that has happened or will ever happen to me, but I know that due to the company I keep, it may not be.

Enough musings. I needed to save Marisa.

"_Please! Marisa!_"

_**It'ssoeasytolethergo.**_

"_Marisa! Please stop!_"

_**Lethercometomeandthenlookup.**_

_You're the tree, aren't you?_

Even now I can't believe that that happened, or that I even mentally asked that question. When it answered me, I didn't feel any surprise over it.

_**Giveyourselftomeyouareboundt ome.**_

_**Youabsorbedmyblossomsnowletm eabsorbyou.**_

I grit my teeth, both unable to believe I was being telepathically spoken to by a tree, and pissed off that it was trying to make me let Marisa be taken. Truth be told, I didn't know which was worse (and still don't). Just being in that situation would have been overwhelmingly infuriating if I wasn't preoccupied with what I was doing. I yelled at the witch.

"_I don't want to see you die!_"

Which was true, really. I didn't want to see any of them die. Especially this girl who had been lightly flirting with me.

_**Icanmakeyourdreamscometrue.**_

_**Itwon'thurtjustlookatme.**_

"_Marisa!_"

_**It'ssoeasytojustlookup.**_

"_Marisa!_"

Her walk slowed down.

I kept pulling on her, kept screaming her name, didn't stop at it. I had a massive headache by then, with the messages the tree was giving me. I could actually _feel_ a force trying to lift my head up.

_No! Fight it! I can't let this thing beat me! I didn't come this far just to be food for a tree! I did not survive everything in the past year just to end up as fertilizer!_

"_Marisa! Wake up! You gotta fight it!_"

_**Lethergo.**_

_Screw you._

_**Givein.**_

I was at my limit. That's probably why I grew aggressive with my thoughts.

_Stop this! I'm tired of all this! Remilia was right. I can defy those more powerful than me. I refuse to lose to you. Hell, I refuse to lose her to you. I'm going to enjoy watching you burn._

_**Youcan'tdefeatmethecorpseinmyrootsf ailedtobeatmewhatchancedoyou thinkyouhaveyoupatheticlittl ewormIwillconsumeyouIwillcon sumeyourfamilyIwillconsumeev erythingyouevercaredabout.**_

_I'll beat you._

_**Youareinsignifigantyouarenot hingyouareworthless.**_

_I can change existence itself. I have traveled through time. I have altered the timeline. I can influence a "God". I am blackmailing a group of things that can hack reality to heed to what I want them to do. I have survived attempts on my life. I have saved the world on multiple occasions. I can and I will beat you. You're going to be just another challenge for me to overcome. Just another thing I'll look back on and __**laugh**__ about. Ultimately, you are nothing to me. I am "John Smith". __**You are nothing compared to me.**_

I think that overdid it.

_**YOUWORTHLESSLITTLEWORMYOUDON 'TSTANDACHANCEI'LLMAKEYOURCONSUMPTIONPAINFUL LI'LLMAKEITSLOW!**_

Why was I being yelled at and threatened by a tree? A freaking tree?! It's so beyond absurd!

_Just shut up already!_

_**I'LLKEEPYOUALIVEWHILEICONSUMEE VERYONEYOU'VEEVERKNOWNI-**_

[SPELL CARD: LOVE SIGN "MASTER SPARK"]

The familiar sound of Marisa's laser spell rang in my ears. I didn't want to turn to see what happened though.

"It's okay, ze!" Marisa's voice was shaky. "Got 'em in a sweep!"

I reluctantly looked up, still afraid.

She did it! The blossoms on the tree were burning, as were most of the limbs. Marisa stood there, wide eyed, with her octagon-thing smoking from the laser's use. Best of all, the voice was cut off. I turned Marisa to face me.

"Marisa! You okay?"

She stood there, blinking a few times.

"...Yeah. Yeah I am...I guess since I'm already crazy...it...it didn't work on me, eh?"

She gazed into my eyes. I could see that she knew she had a near-death experience, as what almost happened must have been dawning on her. Her body lightly shook. It appeared that she didn't want me to know that it fazed her though, as she cracked a smile.

"...Are you crying...?" Marisa asked.

I just stared back at Marisa, wiping at my eyes and wanting to give her a hug. Reimu ran up to her and gave her a hug instead.

"You dummy! Idiot! I don't know what I'd do if we lost you!"

_Going a little tsundere there, Reimu. Damn it, now I'm using those terms Haruhi uses...though when did she use "tsundere"?_ The witch just patted Reimu on the back, her eyes still showing that she had a near-death experience.

"Hey, you know I don't go down that easy, ze."

The ground beneath us shook. The tree screamed again, but this time with no shockwave. _ Way to ruin a touching moment. _It was also time to get away from the tree - we were too close to the thing for _my_ comfort zone. While we ran back to Sakuya, I called out to Reimu.

"Reimu! What now?"

"I don't know!"

The maid gave Marisa back her broom as she asked Reimu the following.

"Can you seal it back up?"

"What?"

Sakuya pointed at Reimu, an edge in her voice.

"You're the Hakurei Shrine Maiden! You stick one of those amulets on a youkai and it disables the power they have, right? You know, seal away evil spirits, cleanse a body of curses, that sort of deal? I know you sometimes do that to Milady when she tries to attack you!"

Sounded like a plan to me. I had to agree.

"Well as long as we don't sacrifice someone here, I'm all for it! It's a youkai anyways, right? So it should work, right, girls?"

_Wait, Remilia attacks Reimu? What happened to "swearing allegiance"?_

I had to let that thought go, as it wouldn't have done me any good in that situation. Marisa picked up her hat and quickly dusted it off, staring at the immense tree.

"It might take one huge freaking amulet for this one, ze!"

_Understatement!_

"Can you do this, Reimu?"

The miko stood there, staring at the tree as the buds were forming again. Seeing her unsure like that was unsettling, to say the least. She's supposed to be the one who dealt with youkai, and to see her have some sort of fear towards that thing made me afraid as well.

That's a lie, actually. I was afraid from the get-go about that thing.

"I-I don't know! I never sealed away anything this big or powerful before! But..." Reimu paused, thinking. Her face got that steeled look back again, like she knew what to do. "I...I think there is a quick ceremony I can perform to place a strong seal...I don't know if it'll work though!"

"We got nothing else, miko!" said Sakuya. "Do it!"

Reimu quickly drew a symbol into the ground around her with her gohei, and started to perform some motions, chanting. A colorful aura began to surround her, and light shone from the symbol she stood on. With every word she said, the light intensified, building up power.

I would have been completely impressed and enthralled by witnessing such a thing, but I had more pressing matters at hand.

The tree roared, and the ground shook again, but more intense this time. Roots shot up from in front of the tree. They intertwined like snakes, and I had the feeling they were about to strike or something. And the tree wasn't done talking to me.

_**Iwon'tgiveherthechance.**_

_That's bad! Another stage of attacks from the final boss!_

And if this were a video game, you'd see in the corner of the screen "New Objective: Protect Reimu as she seals the tree" or something like that.

"That's bad!"

_Just thought that, Marisa!_

"Hurry up, Reimu!"

[SPELL CARD: MAGIC SIGN "MILKY WAY"]

The colorful stars were back, all hitting the roots as they suddenly came right for the miko. The tree screamed in response, the roots turning to ash. I "felt" it, in a way. I heard, in my mind, the tree cry in anguish, and it was a beautiful sound. Sakuya let out a laugh of relief as she brought out a spell card after witnessing Marisa's effect.

"At least spell cards work on this thing!"

"I thought Danmaku was non-lethal!"

"And I thought trees weren't murderous! Who cares, Kyon! It's working!"

True. She had me. To be fair, before that day, I didn't know that trees had the capacity to be genocidal either.

[SPELL CARD: ILLUSION SIGN "KILLING DOLL"]

The new roots that popped up were put down with the knife attack, perforated and cut to pieces. I looked over at Marisa, who was shooting lasers.

"Marisa! Barrier?"

"I'm down to my last handful! I wanna use it when we really need it!"

I held up Cirno's spell card, determined to be of some use there, and wanting to shut the stupid tree up. It kept telling me that everything we were going to do would be in vain. Before I could even read the card, the ground shook violently. We were looking where they would pop up, but instead they came from right under us. Four roots, wrapping around us, and bringing us into the air. Reimu was brought closer to the tree, a single root rose in front of her, pointing directly at- _Oh God, the tree is going to impale her!_

_**LikeItoldyouyoupatheticwormI can'tbebeaten.**_

"_Reimu!_"

_**Nowwatchherdie.**_

The root shot forward.

* * *

She stared at what was outside the house, stunned. She sensed that Lady Yuyuko was knocked out, but out of harm's way. Through the roots, she managed to see the power of the Shrine Maiden, her attempt to gain energy to seal away the evil thing in front of her...and the tree interrupting whatever the miko was doing.

The four were in danger. The gardener's eyes narrowed as she drew her katanas, a scowl forming on her face. She allowed all the rage that had been building up to rear its head.

Finally. Youmu Konpaku was going to take out her frustrations with the tree.

_Time for some pruning._

* * *

A quick slash came out of nowhere, severing the roots holding all of us up, and the attacking one. To the side, a bunch of the roots forming the dome were falling over in halves, giving us light from out there. We all fell to the ground, right behind-

_Youmu?_

The gardener, in some sort of attack position, had both swords drawn, facing the tree. That ghost that was with her was circling her very quickly, as if excited. Youmu turned her head.

"_Shrine Maiden!"_ the gardener shouted._ "Seal it! Now! I'll hold it off!_"

I had to keep myself from fist-pumping at this save. Just like the manga and anime I watched. Last second save out of nowhere.

To hell with it. I fist-pumped. _Hell yeah!_

Reimu nodded and restarted her ceremony. The tree roared yet again, sending out more roots. Youmu ran up one, slashing it to bits as she went, and any others that came even remotely near her. Sakuya and Marisa got back up and resumed their attack, fending off any more roots. Lasers, knives, and a samurai gardener were attacking the tree, and I had a front row seat.

_This is so freaking awesome. Someone needs to make an anime of this stuff._

I actually stopped for a while to take it all in, fully enjoying the screams of the tree that I was hearing in my head.

Wow, I sound like a psycho right there, don't I?

Youmu jumped down in front of Reimu, defending the chanting miko from even more roots, shouting all the while.

"I've been waiting for this day! I'm gonna cut you into pieces, you stupid tree!"

_Is that her favorite thing to say? "I'm gonna cut you into pieces"?_

Youmu was blisteringly fast - I don't know if she managed to find a second wind or if she had inhuman endurance. She was all over the place, her face frozen with a scarily determined look. It was like she really was waiting for that moment to take down the tree. The tree just kept getting cut up every time it attempted an attack in our direction.

The tree's physical scream roared to new decibels at our defiance, trying to get a shot at the shrine maiden and not being able to. That brought me out of my awestruck daze, which in turn got me back to what I wanted to do.

[SPELL CARD: ICE SIGN "ICICLE FALL ~ EASY"]

Positioning myself behind Reimu and making sure the others would be in the little safe zone of the card, I used the Icicle Fall again, tearing up the roots that were above ground, and damaging the tree. The body of Yuyuko wasn't getting hit though - it was on the edge of the safe zone.

Again, a rumbling came from beneath us, but Youmu slashed into the ground, and got several severed roots coming up in front of us as a response, flailing around as if in pain. Sakuya took down another root as she shouted over at Youmu.

_"How many roots does this damn thing have?!"_

_I'd like to know that one, too!_

The gardener sliced up another root as she responded to the maid.

"Sorry, my specialty isn't in youkai botany!"

Marisa ran forward to a root trying to circle around. Gritting her teeth, she brought up her octagon thing at point blank range, and blew it away, all the while shouting out "Master Spark!"

[SPELL CARD: LOVE SIGN "MASTER SPARK"]

_It's gotta be so much fun to use that laser._ That thought aside, I called out to the miko.

"Reimu! You almost fin-"

"_Done! I'm done! Seal's up!_"

A symbol appeared, surrounding the tree. Slowly the roots went back underground, the Saigyou Ayakashi beginning to shrivel. The buds all burst into flames. We were soaked by the rain as the dome of roots went back underground. The tree screamed and screamed, each one getting weaker. The only roots remaining above ground were the ones holding the body, which just dangled there.

We all ran up to Youmu, and I couldn't help but give her a hug, my body still shaking from the adrenaline. I noticed that she was cool to the touch. _Well, she is a ghost, isn't she? Or...she said she's only half ghost?_ Thoughts for another time.

"Hey, Youmu! Thanks!"

I couldn't say enough thanks to her, though I wish I had something better to say than that. She did just save all of our lives, after all.

The ghost girl sheathed her swords after I let go of her, seemingly annoyed - at first I thought it was with me, but I think she was annoyed with herself. Youmu just had this self-hating look in her steel blue eyes, which she lowered as she spoke.

"Yeah, yeah, but after everything I've done...to Gensokyo, to the maid here...and to you, human...I just..."

She slowly met my own eyes, hers showing a little moisture. She blinked a few times. The mask of her samurai side had come off, and she was back to being that girl I saw broke down on the staircase. Youmu pursed her lips a bit, taking a deep breath.

"I'm...I'm sorry. I know I can't make up for everything. I had a hand in this. Anyone who died down there was because of my actions."

I took a second to search for some words of comfort. I mean, yeah, she was responsible, right? But she still came around and saved us. Wasn't that important? Of course, the thoughts of what she did cause crept into my mind...

_I'll think about that later. She saved us. We were about to die and she saved us. That's what matters now._

"You said you were ordered to, and you-."

She waved a hand, cutting me off, not letting me get into what I wanted to say.

"That...doesn't matter. I still did such actions. I'm responsible." Youmu tapped her chest. "_Me_. I should have done the right thing and..."

She sighed, grimacing. The ghost thing that was with her seemed to lower its "head". _What is that thing anyways?_

"I can't make up for it. _Ever_. Lives ended because of what I've done for Lady-"

Her mouth went agape, as she stared past me. Youmu paused as she got a good look the body of Yuyuko, the gardener's expression unreadable. It must have been a mixture of multiple emotions all at once.

_I don't think anyone here knew that Yuyuko was the sacrifice. Wow. But, she was all over the place attacking the tree. Did she really only notice the body just now?_ I guessed that was the case.

Youmu slowly shook her head, her stare frozen on the body. Her voice came out almost as a whisper.

"By the Gods. Lady Yuyuko. It was Lady Yuyuko. The sacrifice was Lady Yuyuko. It was her all along. All that just to meet herself. I just hope-"

_**Irefusetobesealed.**_

_Total B.S.! Total cheap last boss B.S.!_

"Ah, girls, we have a problem!"

The symbol that Reimu placed on the tree had begun to visually crack. The limbs started to shake, and life was trying to return to it. Sakuya let out an exasperated sigh, as she said what was on my mind.

"For crying out loud! What the hell? Reimu, what the hell is this?!"

_**Youdon'tstandachance.**_

_Shut the hell up!_

I didn't think "hell" though. I thought of another word. Justified, but I won't repeat it here.

Reimu stood there with a shocked look on her face.

"My barrier...my barrier isn't strong enough to take down something like this! This thing has to be way stronger than it looks!"

Marisa let out some sort of noise of fatigue and frustration.

"Well, _now_ what do we do? Please somebody have a plan!"

My thoughts raced, attempting to fathom a way to deal with that, but I myself did not know how to deal with a genocidal tree. It was my first one, after all. I was completely out of my league there. _Hey, idiot, why not cut it down?_ Well, that was a thought. However, the tree was massive, and normal chopping by axe would only take...literally days - time we didn't have. _What about the ghost girl and her katana?_ _Can't she chop it down? And besides, we have a time-stopping maid, too. We can chop this thing down before it knows what hit it. _I held onto that thought, as it was the only solution I could come up with. I turned to the gardener, only to see the ghost of Yuyuko Saigyouji there, staring past us.

"Lady Yuyuko?" Youmu asked suddenly, as if she were surprised to see the ghost mistress up and about.

The ghost mistress of the realm floated by, still staring past us and not saying a word. Youmu repeated herself.

"...Lady...Yuyuko?"

The ghost floated along the ground towards the tree, looking up at the body - her body.

She stopped, and both Yuyukos silently held their gaze on each other for a while. The ghost then spoke to the corpse.

"You can go back now. Rest."

The body nodded in some sort of agreement that appeared to be much deeper than what was said - what, I don't know. The tree struggled to keep the body up above ground, but a force pushed it back down. Soon, the body of Yuyuko was submerged, back in the dirt. In response, the buds did a reverse-growth, and shrank back into their limbs. The ghost mistress kept her gaze at the patch of dirt where her body disappeared to. The silence was almost unbearable after several moments.

"They laughed at me."

Nobody said anything else, so ghost Yuyuko continued, still staring, floating there, her back to us. The rain coming down made for a very...well, melancholy setting. I could feel something else, too, like what was going to happen next was going to be big.

"They feared me," Yuyuko said, "you see. My power was too great. Killing anything with mere will. But they used me as a weapon against their enemies. I was a great youkai hunter...even though I never liked my ability to kill. I never wanted my ability to kill. But I still had to perform my duty for my monastery."

Yuyuko paused for a second, before continuing.

"Yet...I was treated as a freak. A monster. Not one of them. Not 'human'. Kept hidden away, only let out to deal with their enemies. They laughed about it daily. I could hear them, even though they were far away. Let out only to kill, kill youkai. A monster killing other monsters. They thought it was a great joke. But I did my duty. No threat against humanity could stop us. Nothing could stand against the Saigyou Monastery, against me. And...for all I've done for them, nobody wanted any part of me."

She took a breath. By then, my mind was a blank, and I couldn't think of anything else but what this ghost was saying.

"Until..._her_. That one youkai that was killing all human opposition. She got too troublesome, too unstoppable. So they sent me after her. And I did my duty; at least, I tried."

Yuyuko chuckled.

"It didn't work against her. She struggled; she was too strong to be killed by my powers. We fought. First time I had to fight, actually. I never fought before - I would just show up to where a youkai was and kill it with my power, but I never fought before. She stabbed me in the heart, but...it didn't kill me. I was slightly more than human because of my powers...but...my powers activated; she was weak herself...I saved her. I kept her from dying, because she was the first not to die...I don't know why. I don't know why I did what I did. Maybe...maybe because I thought...'what an amazing creature to survive me'."

Yuyuko rubbed the back of her neck, seemingly thinking that over.

"I...I think that's why I did it then. I snuck her into my private quarters and nursed her to health. We actually became friends, if you can believe that. I would sneak out at night, and dance with her in the moonlight with the souls of the dead. She stopped attacking humans, making the monks think she was dead, that I did my job. We had a good friendship, my only friendship. But I ultimately had a purpose, to kill the Ayakashi. Like her, this tree was too strong. So the monks devised a way to seal it permanently, with my sacrifice, my suicide."

The ghost mistress scoffed at that.

"That got a big laugh from them. This time, they didn't do it from far away, but right in front of me. We...we were performing the ceremony, and she came to my rescue. She slaughtered _all_ of them, yelling at me that it wasn't worth it to throw my life away for them."

Yuyuko turned to us, tears streaming down her face.

"But I couldn't let a threat like this go. The tree _had _to be sealed - it had taken too many lives. Too many souls. I had finished the ceremony and I used enough of my power to keep my friend away as I killed myself."

_Oh, man._

Her voice broke a bit, and she sniffled.

"I watched...I watched her face as I slit my throat...I can't believe I forgot that... And...and even though they laughed at me, looked...looked down at me, used me - I still had an obligation to protect humanity."

Yuyuko turned back, letting out a long sigh, and looking up into the sky.

"I finally remember..._everything_. The main reason why I wanted to remember is because I had a vague memory of someone crying for me when I was alive. The only person who cried for me when I was alive. And it was her all along...when I killed myself in front of her."

I couldn't help but walk up next to her, noticing that she had to be on the verge of breaking down, her mouth quivering. I didn't know if I should put my hand on her shoulder or what, or anything. This...woman who wanted me dead not too long ago, I felt nothing but sorrow for what she went through.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. All this, all this out of nowhere. She had to kill herself, sacrifice herself in front of her only friend to save those who didn't care for her. So this was what it was all about, all a thousand years ago. Everything clicked. The puzzle pieces came together, forming the picture of what was going on.

You know what? This stuff was too heavy for a mere high schooler. I could not even bring myself to imagine what she went through.

But, she's another youkai hunter. _Was _another youkai hunter. Same as Sakuya, in a way. Same as Reimu. I looked over to those two, and it seemed that Yuyuko's story rang with them. Reimu opened her mouth to say something, but instead didn't.

Yuyuko took a deep breath, the serene expression on her face just baffling me. Bearing her soul like that, she had mostly kept her calm tone throughout it all.

"But...I'll be damned if my death was for nothing," Yuyuko said. "If my purpose was just erased. I almost broke my promise."

She lowered her head, placing her hand over her heart.

"Father...I made a promise to you...I made a promise after the tree took you from me...that I wouldn't let it take anyone else, that you would be its last vitcim...the last soul it took."

She stared at the tree, blinking away tears. Slowly her hand became a fist, and her stare turned into a glare.

"And I refuse to break that promise!"

_Jeez. This whole thing just goes deeper and deeper._

The tree responded with a roar. Yuyuko extended her arms, and her crimson butterflies began to swirl around her, around us. Tears continued to fall from her eyes.

"Youmu, living humans of Gensokyo, and boy from the outer world. Stand with me."

I'd gladly tell her my name, but that wasn't the time. We all looked at each other, nodding, and lined up with the ghost. Yuyuko continued.

"This tree cannot be killed. But we can weaken it again and reseal it for good. If it is weakened by Danmaku, then our combined might will undo the damage I have done here."

_**Irefusetobesealed.**_

_You don't have a say in this, you damn youkai._

My eyes wandered over to Marisa, who gave me a weak smile and tipped her hat. She readied a Lunatic spell card.

"Time to go full-power, ze."

Reimu and Sakuya did the same with their Lunatic spell cards.

_Quick question - why didn't they use their Lunatic spell cards earlier if they had some?_ I'd never get an answer to that.

Youmu drew both her swords. I reached in my pocket for the Ice Fairy's spell card. I hoped the tree was far back enough to not be missed by it.

"_Now!_"

As soon as Yuyuko called for it, we each read our spell cards, and the crimson butterflies surrounded us. They caused each of our bodies to glow, making our spell cards shine with an unusual light.

It felt awesome to be a part of this - a group of people sealing away an ancient, evil being. Just like in the manga. Just like in all the anime I used to watch. I felt righteous.

_**Iwillconsumeallofyou.**_

_Consume this._

Wow, it felt good just thinking that one-liner. Add "felt badass" to that list! Even though I was using the spell card of a fairy.

I was using the spell card of a fairy.

A fairy.

Okay, take away that addition. I'm _not_ a badass. But what did feel badass, was hearing all of us call out our spell cards. We were united against this thing. This was final episode of the season-type stuff there.

[SPELL CARD: ICE SIGN "ICICLE FALL ~ EASY"]

[SPELL CARD: MAGICANNON "FINAL MASTER SPARK"]

[SPELL CARD: ILLUSION WORLD "THE WORLD"]

[SPELL CARD: DEVA GOD SWORD "COMPONENTS OF KONPAKU"]

[SPELL CARD: BORDER WORLD "HAKUREI DANMAKU BOUNDED FIELD"]

[SPELL CARD: CHERRY BLOSSOM SIGN "PERFECT CHERRY BLOSSOM OF SUMIZOME -BLOOM-"]

I couldn't even comprehend what our combined might did, our combined patterns. It's weird. My brain couldn't process it back then, and my attempts to remember it even now yields almost nothing. To best describe it would be a "flurry of colorful chaos" at first. Knives, Amulets, Needles, Lasers, Stars, Crimson Butterflies, Sword Slashes, and Icicles, all over the place; but then they sort of started to swirl together, somewhat like a helix of a strand of DNA, funneling into the tree directly - everything hit the tree. Then there was silence.

_**nononononononononononononoNo NoNoNoNoNoNONONONONONONOIDON 'TWANTTOSLEEP**_

The Saigyou Ayakashi screamed one last time as it let out a force as it let out a massive amount of heat, not unlike an explosion, which knocked all of us into the air. It also felt as if the force sapped my stamina. I came down hard on my shoulder, the pain causing me to see stars. I laid there for a while, trying to get myself together, and hoping I didn't break the arm - thankfully, I didn't. When I looked up, the tree was ablaze, but wasn't burning down. It was like some holy fire, cleansing it, taking the power away from it; at least that's what I could guess from my position.

Through my weakness and pain, I felt a sense of accomplishment as I stared at the tree. There was also something about it, like a sand drifting away from it, but I couldn't really tell. At least the voice was finally gone for good.

"Stupid tree," I blurted out. "That's what you get."

Wish I could have mumbled something better there, thinking about it, because that was pretty weak as attempted catchphrases or one-liners go. And around the time we "defeated", I suppose I should say, the Ayakashi, the rain had stopped. That was almost too perfect, actually, the timing of that afterlife rain.

I just kept staring at the tree, the youkai tree. It had supposedly taken so many souls in the past, yet I just helped defeat it.

_Normal and useless, huh? I just helped take down a major threat to the entire world. Suck on that._ And I did it being a sidekick in the adventure. Awesome.

What _wasn't_ awesome was what happened next. It felt like it happened in slow motion. My vision was still a bit blurry from the fall, and my ears were ringing, but something came down in front of the tree, and began walking right towards me. As it got closer, my vision corrected itself, but I did not want to see who it was.

The woman in white, Letty Whiterock.

_I just can't get a break, can I?_

She had the proverbial fire in her eyes, and was holding someone by their neck. A blonde girl whose skin was blue and covered in frost, her lips quivering. It was Alice!

"She told you...she told you where to go...You stupid little boy. This is all your fault!"

_Not good not good not good._

Whiterock's voice was quite...demonic. It had an unnatural echo to it. She flung Alice's limp body to the side somewhere. The puppeteer hit the ground without a sound.

I didn't even have time to feel sorry for Alice; I only felt fear. Letty's gaze was frozen, pardon the pun, on me. I tried to get to my feet, but I was still too weak from the fall. I whipped out the Icicle Fall spell card, figuring that I should fight ice with ice, (why not?) and began to say the words.

The lettering didn't react at all. I must have been out of magic. _What a time to run out of MP. If this were a Final Fantasy game..._wait, why was I making video game references at a time like that?!

Letty continued her walk towards me. I noticed that the girls were laying down in front of me, stirring. Whatever made me weak must have made them weak as well. Marisa was already on her hands and knees, but when Letty reached her, she kicked the witch in the ribs, sending her into the air. Marisa came down hard, yelping. Reimu saw this, and tried to get a shot at Letty, but the Yuki-Onna shot a chunk of ice at Reimu's face. The force knocked Reimu back. Yuyuko had propped herself up, but she too was put down by a blast of ice.

"Stay out of my way," Whiterock shouted. "The boy dies first!"

_Not good! __**Really **__not good!_ _My lighter...where the hell is my damn lighter?_ Also, again, what have I done in a past life to deserve so many people wanting me dead? I searched my pockets frantically for the lighter, the only thing I could think of to defend myself. It wasn't until then that someone had caught my eye.

Youmu had managed to stagger to her feet, but was obviously weak. She was swaying a bit, and she couldn't even bring up her katana. Dragging it and breathing heavily, she had made her way to the point where she was in between the Yuki-Onna and I. I could see her arm tense. She attempted to lift the katana at Letty, but I think she had reached her physical limit.

_Why...why is she getting in between me and...Is she trying to protect me?_

I heard Youmu grunt as her arms shook, still trying to raise her weapon. Again, Youmu must have had incredible stamina to be able to stand when I couldn't, when we all couldn't - not counting the fact that she battled Sakuya twice and helped us take down the tree all beforehand - thing is, Youmu was possibly running on empty. Her voice showed that - she was struggling to get out the words.

"Not...not going to let you...take him...I messed up...he shouldn't have been here...shouldn't...have involved...we shouldn't...shouldn't have listened to you...Whiterock..."

_She __**is**__ trying to protect me. Youmu, you don't even know me!_

Shaking, the gardener managed to bring up the katana a bit.

"I'm not...I'm not going to let you kill him!"

_Youmu, you don't have to do this!_

Whiterock scowled and responded to Youmu's defiance.

"Stay out of my way, gardener."

Letty extended her arms to her sides. Sheets of ice began to form to the left and right of Youmu.

_No! Youmu!_

"Because sooner or later, _all who stand in my way must feel the icy touch of death!"_

The Yuki-Onna then quickly made a clapping motion. The two sheets of ice smashed into the samurai gardener like a sandwich, shattering on impact. Youmu stood there afterwards, shaking in obvious pain. The ice had left some shards that were sticking out of Youmu's body, and blood dripped down those shards. The katana dropped out of her hand with a clang, and she followed suit - the only difference being that Youmu collapsed without a sound.

_Oh, God, Youmu! No!_

She was finally down for the count, it seemed, and it was both sickening and heartbreaking to watch. I couldn't even tell if she was breathing or not. This gardener didn't even know me, yet she just possibly died trying to protect me.

Yeah, she was a ghost, but you try watching a person get hit like that and fall to the ground, and let's see you react to it. I reacted the same way with Nagato, right after I found out she wasn't human. And in both cases, it didn't help that they were bleeding.

_Youmu even fell the exact same way Nagato did._ It was déjà vu.

Sakuya just laid there, whom Letty stepped over.

I let out a little noise as the Yuki-Onna stood over me. Not the most masculine noise, mind you. Then again, in that situation, could anyone really blame me?

Whiterock grabbed me by the throat and brought me up to her face, strangling me. She was ice cold to the touch, and I could feel myself starting to freeze. Compounded with being soaked, it was _very_ cold for me.

"_You stupid little boy! Why did you have to come to Gensokyo?_"

_I never planned on it!_

I finally found my lighter, and managed to light it (amazing, especially since it was wet), but she knocked it away. All I could do was weakly flail at her.

"_Now I have to hide. Now I have to once again disappear and wait until winter! This winter could have gone on forever! I could have finally been out all year instead of only being out for three months! Do you know what it's like to only be able to live for three months a year? Why? Why did you have to ruin everything? Why did you have to take away my time? And why did you have to risk all of existence?_"

_Not like this. Please not like this. I want to see my friends and family again..._

She tightened her grip, and no matter how much I struggled, there was no way she would let go.

_I want to see my parents. I want to see my sister..._

I thought I saw something move from behind Whiterock, but I couldn't tell.

..._Kunikada...Tsuruya..._

I could _feel_ my eyes bulge, my head about to pop, my core temperature lowering.

_...even that idiot Taniguchi..._

The strength left my arms and they dangled at my sides.

_...Asahina...Nagato...Koizumi..._

Everything was going dark for me, my ever-weakening gaze fixed on the enraged face of Whiterock. There was something about her eyes, like she had static from a television in them or whatever, but that really didn't matter to me at that point.

_...Haruhi..._

"_I'll kill you! I'll kill these girls! Then I'll go into your world and kill everyone you ever cared abo-GYYYAAAAAHHHH!_"

Letty screamed, dropping me - I collapsed, fighting to catch my breath. Managing to glance up, I saw Sakuya standing behind Whiterock. Sakuya had a gash on her forehead, and her face was covered in blood. She was having trouble standing up but that didn't hinder the fact that she had stuck two knives into Letty's back - one from each hand. Sakuya clenched her teeth as she twisted the knives in Letty's back, causing the Yuki-Onna to scream. A strained smile washed over Sakuya's face as she spoke.

"Gotcha, you stupid ice-bi-"

The Yuki-Onna whipped around, smacking away the maid. Letty reached behind her, pulling out the two silver knives. Sakuya rolled when she hit the ground, her eyes beginning to glow red - the next instant, she was at Letty's side, thrusting another knife forward. Letty quickly extended her arm, and a stream of ice went right for Sakuya's chest, making the most horrifying noise that you could hear from a human body when it connected - a crunch. Those had to be ribs breaking. Sakuya yelped as she was knocked away, but not before she got a good slash at Whiterock. Letty held onto her shoulder, blood seeping between her fingers.

"...you...little...I'll...deal...with you and yours later..."

I would have mused over the fact that a ghost was bleeding, but again, then wasn't the time. She turned to me, ready to reach down and finish what she started, when all of a sudden she stood up straight, not moving as if freezing on the spot, a surprised look on her face. I saw a few paper amulets hit Letty.

I was deeply relieved when I saw the miko standing there a few meters away. _Another last minute save. Love those, especially since they save__** me**_. The rage in Whiterock's eyes disappeared, her features softening. For a brief second there, I thought I convinced myself that she didn't know what was going on. _Was that sand escaping from her body?_

"_Wha-what?_"

Whiterock's voice had returned to normal. Reimu limped from behind her, a cut above her swelling right eye bleeding down all over her clothes. She was holding another amulet. Letty stared at her, seemingly confused. Reimu took a deep breath before speaking.

"You know, it can be so simple to seal away such a cursed, evil thing, as long as you know how to properly do it."

The amulet in Reimu's hand ignited. Whiterock's eyes widened as Reimu continued.

"That, and making it weak or immobilizing it, or both, kind of really helps out with that."

Reimu's steeled herself, the anger on her face intimidating.

"And now, you Yuki-Onna bitch, you burn!"

"Hey, wait! _Please don't!_"

Ignoring the Yuki-Onna's plea, Reimu stuck the blazing amulet to Letty's forehead.

Whiterock was completely engulfed in less than five seconds.

And I felt nothing. Nothing as the Yuki-Onna burned in front of the burning tree. I think Letty screamed. If she did I didn't hear her. And I don't think I would have cared. Not after what she did here, causing winter to stay, getting my life on the line. Oh, and the fact that she almost choked me out. And I won't even get into the fact that she almost threatened to kill everyone I ever cared for.

Or what she did to Youmu and Alice. Hell, all the girls in front of me there.

A blue glowing orb shot out of the burning body, and Reimu quickly turned to it. The body collapsed into nothingness, the amulets falling to the floor.

"_No! I won't let you get away!_"

The miko shot a few amulets at it, but it was already gone. She pounded her fist on the ground, a splash of muddy water hitting the both of us.

"_Dammit!_"

"What...what was that?"

Reimu didn't answer me for a few seconds, obviously ticked off with this turn of events. She wiped away some of the mud from the wound on her face, grimacing.

"Damn it all. I'm slipping. Almost got taken down by a fairy today, and I let a ghost get away from me..." Reimu angrily said to herself. She again wiped at the mud on her face, before she noticed my utter confusion over the blue orb. She motioned towards the direction it went. "That was her - the Yuki-Onna. She left this form. Somehow she beat my amulets. It'll take her a while to gather up enough energy to become a threat again, but she's still alive. Alive for a ghost anyways."

"So that was her soul or something?"

Reimu casually nodded at that. _ Well now. Afterlife, confirmation of souls. Not to mention all the youkai in Gensokyo. I really need to rethink reality._

The miko grunted as she got to her feet and helped me to mine. The cut above her eye continued to bleed, some of it getting on me. Didn't bother me, however.

"It's a problem with some youkai," Reimu coldly said "if you don't kill them the right way, the powerful ones can revive themselves given time."

_That's...interesting to know. Speaking of powerful youkai-_

"Like the tree?"

"Oh. That."

The anger leaving her face, Reimu turned and walked/limped to the burning Saigyou Ayakashi. She brought up her hand to hold her cut as she spoke.

"Well, hopefully our host can provide a more suitable barrier this time. Or maybe the original one will recharge." Reimu shrugged. "Either way the tree is as near death as it can be, I suppose, so I think one of my barriers can hold it for the time being. I'll need to get to it."

"But, Reimu, you're bleeding-"

She snapped at me, cutting me off.

"I'll be fine! Go help the others!"

Hoping that she was fine, and finding myself respecting her for being tough, I took a second to locate where the witch was. Limping to Marisa and her pouch, I wondered if there _were_ enough cherry blossoms left to activate another barrier. Should be - the witch said she had one handful left. Also, I have to say this - it's tough to limp on wet grass and mud.

I also didn't know what the hell that explosion was. It left me weak and sore, and everyone else obviously weak. However, I'd later learn that it was the spring that was built up in the tree that was released. That's what sapped us - our bodies couldn't take the raw essence of spring that washed over us.

I passed by the two from this place - Yuyuko was already at Youmu, holding her servant in her arms. At least Youmu was breathing, but she was bleeding, badly, shards of ice sticking out of her body here and there. I was overly relieved that Youmu didn't sacrifice her life for me, and stopped to say something. Yuyuko shot a glance at me. Her eyes showed that she was feeling sorrow, but there was also a calm collectiveness about them, saying "you shouldn't worry".

"Young man, help your friends first. Don't worry about us ghosts. Let me worry about my Youmu."

I stood there, not wanting to leave Youmu, but Yuyuko simply motioned over to Marisa.

Leaving the two ghosts, I limped my way to the witch. Marisa groaned as I reached her, clutching her stomach. I stuck my hand in the pouch laying by her, and thankfully it was enough - the red barrier reactivated, all the pain in my body went away, and my energy returned. _Man, I'm relying on this more than I rely on Nagato, and it hasn't failed to help, much like her. _I placed my hands on Marisa, and as soon as it activated on her, I got up to go to Sakuya. Marisa tugged on my pants leg.

"Heh. You missed an opportunity. You could have-"

"Yeah, copped a feel."

Marisa shook her head as she winked.

"Nope. Rejuvenated me with a kiss, ze. You know - 'Sleeping Beauty' and all."

I smiled. _Why is she so flirty with me? Not that I mind, and nor am I complaining. I'd just like to know._ I decided to counter her boldness with a little boldness of my own.

"Tempting, but maybe later."

Marisa gave me another wink.

"I'll hold you to that, Kyon."

_Oh, Marisa, why can't I find a girl like you in my world?_

I ran over to Sakuya. Already a small puddle of blood was beneath her due to her gash. Placing my hand on her, I watched as her gash closed up and the look of anguish on her face went away. Her labored breathing returned to normal. I'm guessing her ribs really were broken again.

One thing I should mention: I would get into the philosophical aspect of me placing my hands on people to heal them, but I don't want to sound like Koizumi. And I don't want to read too much into such a thing. I'm just a normal high schooler, after all.

A high schooler who just helped save the world, but that's beside the point.

The maid opened her eyes, giving me a weak smile as I helped her to her feet.

"So much for hoping that we would have ended this quickly," she said. "Personally...personally I thought we would have been done by lunchtime."

I just returned the smile and nodded. My mind recalled earlier that day - when Sakuya and I were in the yard with Meiling, talking about doing this, finding spring. It seemed so long ago.

"Yeah...it's been a hell of a day, hasn't it?"

That is an understatement. Possibly one of my biggest understatements, which is saying something, thinking about it now. We just saved the world, didn't we? Also, forgive me for using the word "understatement" over and over. Maybe I need a Thesaurus.

Sakuya grinned as she wiped the blood off of her face. The two of us made our way to Reimu, who was finishing up her ritual. Sakuya let out a little grunt as she held onto her right shoulder and moved it around.

"Yeah. Ranks up for one of the more intense days _I've_ been through. Who'd of thought this whole mess concerned the end of the world due to death by tree?"

_Not me, that's for sure._

"But anyways, Kyon," Sakuya stopped, turning to me. "Thanks. You know, for healing me over and over today."

"It's no problem."

"No. Really. Thank you."

Sakuya said that with such a serious look on her face. She meant it. As for my response, well, what could I do? What could I do for a former vampire hunter who thanked me for being there that day? I just nodded.

Marisa had joined us as we reached the miko. The colorful energy surrounding Reimu had built up to a powerful aura, and when Reimu said the final chant, the energy shot into the Saigyou Ayakashi. I watched as a visible seal appeared around the tree, this time staying. I don't know anything about magical logistics, but I had to assume that was a good thing. Reimu dropped to her knees, tired, and I placed my hand on her shoulder. She responded with a sigh of relief as she turned to me, her eye and cut healing.

"That should do it."

Sakuya and Marisa helped up Reimu, the miko staring into the maid's eyes.

"Well now, Sakuya. I have to say - your assistance in this incident was...useful." A smirk crept on Reimu's face. "But let's just make one thing clear - this doesn't make us friends, okay?"

Sakuya rolled her eyes and returned the smirk.

"I know, miko. Friendship is overrated anyway."

_Now something like that isn't normally said in anime._

"I call B.S. on that one, you two," cracked Marisa, grinning, as she placed her arms around on the shoulders of both the miko and the maid.

Satisfied with that, Reimu turned to me.

"As for you, Kyon, you handled yourself quite-"

Reimu paused - she stared at something behind me.

"_Alice_?"

I whipped around. The still body of the puppeteer laid there on the ground.

_Oh, hell! I forgot about her!_

The four of us were then running to the puppeteer, her eyes closed and barely breathing, _if_ she was breathing at all. My barrier was coming to an end.

_Don't be dead! Don't be dead! Crap crap crap we don't have any more cherry blossoms!_

Running harder, I dove right into a puddle, and slid into her. Just as it was about to end, I got to her. The barrier surrounded Alice, doing its thing - giving her warmth, healing her. The frost began to melt, and the color came back to her skin.

Alice sat up with a start as she coughed and gasped for air. It was just like in the TV shows, where someone used a defib on someone! Marisa knelt down and hugged Alice.

"Alice! You're alive! Thank goodness! Would've been a real downer if you died, ze!"

Understandably, it took Alice a few seconds to regain her breath.

"Ah...Mah...Marisa? Reimu? Where...where am I?"

"You're in the land of the dead, ze!"

_Not the line you want to tell someone when they wake up._

Alice's eyes widened. It took a second for Marisa to realize how that came out. The witch nervously chuckled.

"Oh...wait, well, yeah, you are, but you're not dead. You _are_ in the land of the dead. But you're _not_ dead. So please don't freak out, ze."

Is it wrong that I felt like laughing there?

"Land of the...Hakugyokurou?"

The puppeteer slowly got up, and stared at her surroundings. The wonder on her face faded into confusion and then bemusement as she got a good look at where we were.

"Actually, not that impressive."

_Then again, we're standing, covered in mud, in the middle of a battle-torn field with a burning tree and various splashes of our blood here and there, but it really is a nice place._

Alice had to bend over for a while, still trying to catch her breath. I knelt down next to her.

"You okay? You had me worried there. You were covered in frost and all."

She brought up her eyes, and met mine. Her multi-colored eyes just stared into my soul, it seemed.

"...You...you saved me. _Why?"_

For a second, I just got angry. The way she said that...I knew what she was implying. _No. I will __**not**__ be a part of this stupidity I've seen in anime and manga too many times! _I just had to rant.

"Don't give me that. Don't tell me that 'why did you save me, I wanted to die' bull crap. No. I'm not having such a stupid trope happen in front of me. Yeah, you became a youkai, yeah, you gave up your humanity. And yeah, I don't know what you're going through, what you went through, but it's got to be better than just giving up on life! You gave up your humanity to become _better,_ right?"

Alice nodded, a little bewildered with what I was saying to her.

"So, forgive me for saying it," I angrily spoke, "but just wanting to die is just so freaking stupid after you did something like that. You are an amazing person, Alice. Creepy, but amazing."

What was up with me? I had temporarily turned into a person who was saying the right things! I was extremely impressed with myself, and wondered how long it could last.

Alice's breathing had become normal, and her eyes darted back and forth. She stood up, head lowered.

"I...I..." Alice stammered.

Reimu walked up to Alice.

"Well, I guess there's one advantage of not being human anymore. Youkai are tougher to kill."

Alice just lowered her eyes. Reimu put her hand on Alice's shoulder. The miko gave the youkai puppeteer a small smile.

"Thank you, Alice, for pointing us in the right direction. You...you almost died for it. So, I don't know what else to say. Except thank you."

Alice closed her eyes and took a deep breath. I saw a single tear fall down her cheek.

"That's...good enough, I guess."

She hugged Reimu. I couldn't help but smile at this display. _I hope these two won't hold grudges against each other anymore. And I hope Alice can come to terms with what she's become._

I took a deep breath, too, as I looked back on what I did that day up to that point, wondering how it came to this. How I got involved with everything there. And truth be told, despite me being scared out of my wits at times, I had a blast. I took part in an actual adventure.

"Are you strong enough to walk, Youmu?"

"Yes, Lady Yuyuko."

We turned to see the ghosts; Youmu gingerly got out of her mistress's arms, and stood before us. _Good Lord. Youmu has got to be one of the toughest people I'll ever meet, youkai or not. She can __still__ stand. _Youmu knelt, despite having various cuts that were still bleeding from the shattering ice, though they were less numerous by then. Did Yuyuko heal her a bit?

"Thank you all."

_I should be the one thanking you. I still can't get over what you just did for me. I don't know if I can ever repay you._

That part, I actually did say and think at the same time. Youmu did not answer me, she just gave me a single nod. Apparently, that's all she had to say on that. She must have some old school code of honor or something, like real samurais or whatnot.

Sakuya grabbed the satchel I had, getting out some bandages. Interestingly enough, they weren't wet.

"You're torn up! You shouldn't be walking around!"

"I'm fine."

_You're not a human interface. You might be as hardy as one, and possibly more badass, but I doubt you're fine._ Sakuya didn't listen to Youmu's protests, and went about dressing the gardener's wounds. Youmu's ghost pet or whatever it was began to circle around Sakuya. I had no idea what it was doing. Yuyuko floated to Reimu and bowed.

"I wish to apologize for my actions, and my unwillingness to abide by your rules. If you see it fit to find a way to destroy me, then I'd accept it."

"Lady Yuyuko!"

"Youmu, it's all right. After all, if I had listened to you, this wouldn't have happened. It's my fault."

Reimu let out a sigh, and chewed on her lower lip, deciding.

"You...you did break the laws of Danmaku. You stole spring from Gensokyo and caused multiple deaths due to the snowstorms, mostly by freezing. By principle, I _should_ seal you away somewhere forever, or flat-out kill you."

Yuyuko lowered her eyes, disappointment on her face. I think it was disappointment over her own actions. The miko continued with her bluntness.

"However, you were instrumental in helping us reseal that evil tree, and Youmu has made the case that you weren't in your right state of mind. I see no reason to seek your destruction...for now anyways."

Why was she like this?

"Reimu!"

"Oh, it's all right, young man," assured Yuyuko. "I deserve it, and I actually owe you an apology as well."

For some reason I started to act all apologetic, as if some of this was my fault. I don't know why I felt that for those few moments.

"You know, it's fine now. I mean, yeah, the whole experience possibly took years upon years off my life-"

"That's not actually true. Just two and a half years."

My jaw dropped as Yuyuko stood/floated there smiling, dashing away that silly feeling. I hoped she was messing with me.

"Fufufu. Actually just an approximation. Rounded down."

_When can I go home? I can't believe I'm missing the insanity of Haruhi...maybe because I've been dealing with the insanity of everyone in here!_

Yuyuko crossed her arms, staring at me, showing a bit of confusion.

"Interesting, however, that you had the barrier of the Saigyou monastery. We used to just call it the 'Supernatural Border'."

_So that's what that was?_

"Maybe it was because of my body underneath that tree, and whomever collected the cherry blossoms...it activated on them. On you. Strange. I don't remember it having healing properties like it does for you. It was only designed to protect. I don't understand..."

_Join the club._

"Lady Yuyuko! What happened?"

The Prismrivers had shown up. They rushed to their Mistress's side. Yuyuko smiled at them.

"Ah, Prismrivers. Could you help our guests have more accommodating settings by serving dinner? The current setting is kind of...well, I can't find the word."

_Really? We pretty much fought each other over my life and you're_...well, my rumbling stomach ended that line of thought. Lunch was just a light meal after all, and that jerky wasn't filling.

"You're inviting us to dinner?"

She turned to me, her smile genuine.

"It's the least I could do for now."

"For now?"

"Yes. I have a long list of reparations I'll need to make. But for now, I ask all of you to come eat with me."

Running her finger on the brim of her hat, Marisa gave a sly smile.

"Eating in the land of the dead? Well, I guess we're all rare and honored humans then, ze."

Yuyuko held up a finger, her face awash with realization.

"However...first...before I forget, Prismrivers, could you release the fairy?"

* * *

Koakuma was terrified. She was shaking, but she knew she had to do this. As her summoned creature, if Patchouli died, so would Koakuma - their souls were bound together. Seeing Patchouli laid out on the table, with that piece of wood sticking out of her side was daunting. As soon as the piece was removed, the blood would really start to flow, making it difficult to heal the librarian.

"Koa. You okay?"

The little devil's gaze went from the unconscious Patchouli to Meiling.

"Uh...no...no not really. I don't know if I can do this. I have to do this, but I don't know if I can."

Meiling nodded a bit, and placed her hand on the piece.

"Let's get to it. Flandre said that Patchouli would bleed out in minutes. This needs to be done _now_."

Koakuma took a deep breath. She had the materials to sew up Pathcouli, and knew a few healing spells, but for damage this severe, those were a last resort. She took a second to go over the medical procedures needed for this, mentally preparing herself.

_Don't screw up don't screw up don't screw up._

"Meiling. Do it."

Meiling removed the debris. The blood poured out of the open wound. Koakuma felt intimidated by the task at hand.

_Okay okay I can do this. I can...there is too much blood! There is just too much blood! I can't sew her up fast enough!_

"Fire sign. Shaoyin Heart Channel of Hand."

All of a sudden, the blood began to ooze out slower. Patchouli hadn't run out of blood, but for some reason, it wasn't coming out as fast. Koakuma noticed a light, and her gaze drifted up.

Meiling had her hands clasped over Patchouli's arm, a green glow surrounding her. The glow slowly poured into the Librarian's body. Koakuma's jaw dropped.

"Meiling...Meiling what..._what are you-?_"

The chief guard quickly motioned towards Patchouli.

"Koakuma, uh, I think you need to patch up Patch."

The assistant librarian's eyes widened as she went about healing her master.

"Okay...okay...but Meiling...you need to tell me one of these days _what_ you really are."

* * *

We were getting clean; well, the girls were. I was just wiping myself and my clothes down with a towel that Lyrica had given to me. While the girls were getting clean as well (as clean as you can get with wiping away blood and mud), Lyrica motioned me out of the room.

"Wanna see the fairy, human?"

Considering it was a fairy that could change the seasons, yeah. I wanted to. I followed, and she led me down a hallway. Before we reached the end, the fairy popped out of a doorway. Long blonde hair, green eyes, white feathered wings. Her dress was white with a red wave pattern on the edges. She simply stared directly at me, not speaking. She held out a hand, and I didn't know if she wanted to shake hands or whatnot. Didn't matter, because within seconds, a red aura formed around me, like it did for the barrier, except this time, it was seeping into her. The spring in me was being taken by her.

Great, I guess. Wasn't doing me any good. And at least it didn't hurt to have it taken out of me.

As soon as she was done, she flew out of the building. I stared after the spring fairy, Lilly White.

"Well, that was interesting," Lyrica said, "wasn't it?"

I turned to see Lyrica standing there, arms crossed and a smirk on her face.

"Or have you been saturated to the point where you don't care anymore about unusual goings on?"

"Sometimes I think I'm at that level, but-"

Lyrica rolled her eyes, cutting me off.

"-But something new comes along and wastes that, right?"

I nodded. Lyrica took that as her answer.

"Yeah, human, same for me sometimes. And remember, I'm a friggin' Phantom Copy of someone else. You think _I've_ seen everything? I've seen some weird stuff in my travels with my sisters. All I know is that there is much more weirdness in this world. A spring fairy actually ranks pretty low on my list, if you can believe that. Anyway, come on, human. It's time to eat."

I think I like Lyrica. I felt bad for suggesting the plan of taking her down first back in the battle at the gate, but it went away. That was a different situation, after all.

I also had to wonder - what has this artist seen to make a season-changing fairy "low" on her list?

* * *

They let her go. She could feel the warmth up here, and it was good. But she knew that it didn't need to belong here. She sensed what was below, that winter was still going on. The fairy wanted to get out of there fast, but she met a young human male that had a lot of spring in him. She reached out, finding something holding it all in, causing it to collect in him. It took a while, but she willed it all away, the spring seeping from him, and into her. Whatever was done to him to make it collect in only him was also gone. He didn't appear to notice, and she didn't care. She then took off, gathering the spring of the realm she was in, flew down the stairs, and through the rift.

The fairy surveyed what was before her. Nothing but cold, ice, the lifeless world that came before her season. Without a second thought, she dashed at the clouds, ending the storm, before she got to work on the ground level.

Lilly White was free.

* * *

We had made our introductions, and told our story of getting there, including the annoying "blessing of a God" thing. Yuyuko was listening and hanging on every word while eating. She had quite the appetite. A bandaged Youmu was the one asking the questions about certain points. The Prismrivers found replacement instruments, and were playing for us, a nice tune for dinner.

All in all, this was a far cry from the battle we were just in.

"You know, humans," said Yuyuko after finishing a plate, "I have used my powers to kill, but I don't allow things like revenge dictate my emotions. Though if Letty Whiterock were alive...no, that wouldn't be any good."

Sakuya raised an eyebrow.

"Why not?"

Youmu gave a little bow.

"Besides this realm being the afterlife for artists," the gardener said, "anybody killed by Lady Yuyuko's power also ends up here."

"Yes, Youmu is correct. I'd have to let Whiterock live with me."

Marisa's eyes widened in response to that as she put some sugar in her tea.

"Wow. Talk about your catch-22's, ze."

_I'll say. Although if you were angry enough, you could keep her here and make her pay for the rest of her afterlife...though I don't think that this afterlife would be appropriate for that purpose. There should be another one that already does that._

"Youmu..." Yuyuko said with a sparkle in her eye. "Is that apple pie I smell?"

"Yes, Lady Yuyuko."

The Mistress Ghost's smile widened.

_Wow,_ she had a big appetite. It was actually two apple pies. One for us, the other strictly for Yuyuko, which she promptly ate.

"Ahh, Youmu, your pies are, pardon the pun, to die for."

"Thank you, Lady Yuyuko."

Yuyuko wasn't kidding...although dying for a slice of pie would be kind of problematic. Still, it was the most amazing dessert I've ever had. Reimu finished her pie slice and leaned forward, her face serious. I think she was about to ask something, but we heard a loud, echoing pounding that reverberated throughout the house. Yuyuko's eyes widened.

"Oh...right. The youkai. I had forgotten about her. Prismrivers, could you release her?"

The smiles on the Prismrivers faces faded, replaced by fear. Their sudden and almost violent shift from happiness to their new state was unsettling.

"Uh...the...the youkai?"

"Yes. Please let her out."

The Prismrivers looked at each other, and I couldn't help but glance around as well. It seemed there was something in the air, a new tension building. Yuyuko's eyebrow raised as she picked up her tea cup after Youmu refilled it.

"Is there a problem?"

"...No...Lady...Yuyuko. No...no problem at all."

There _was_ obviously a problem there. When the Prismrivers left (walking out of the room as if they were walking to their doom), Marisa shook her head and chuckled.

"Ah, there is only one youkai I know that can get _that_ kind of response."

Alice's eyes widened as her jaw dropped.

"You don't mean-"

Marisa smiled and nodded, as if that was all that was needed to be said. And obviously it was, as Alice didn't ask anything else. I also think she didn't want to ask anything else, because she appeared to be getting sick to her stomach over something. Reimu crossed her arms and shook her head, a knowing smile on her face.

"I almost feel sorry for those sisters."

I noticed the confusion on Sakuya's face. She didn't know what was going on either. I spoke.

"Is there something Sakuya and I are missing here?"

_Should I even know what we're missing?_

Reimu glanced up at the both of us.

"The youkai of flowers. Yuka Kazami."

Before she said anything else, the whole house shook, and we could hear the Prismrivers starting to shout. Reimu calmly sipped some tea, as did Yuyuko.

"Oh, dear," Yuyuko calmly said. "I hope she doesn't wreck my home."

The house shook again, and through the wall came flying Lyrica. No, not flying under her own power. I mean _"flying in that she got freaking thrown through a wall"_ power. I let out a curse that I won't repeat as she bounced off the floor and hit the wall behind Sakuya and I. Lyrica slid down in a heap.

"...Released...youkai..." Lyrica struggled to say that.

Yuyuko simply shook her head before taking a sip of tea.

"Yes, she _is_ wrecking my home. Oh, well, I do suppose I deserve it."

Yeah, this was probably something I didn't want to know. I asked the Prismriver if she was okay as she laid there against the wall.

"Does it look like I'm okay?!"

_Fine. Be like that._

Again, more house-shaking. This time Merlin came flying in through another section of the wall, landing on the table and spilling the drinks of Sakuya and I, while everyone else just lifted up theirs in anticipation. Merlin was out cold. Sakuya brought out her knives, and I kind of scooted next to her.

"I wouldn't do that, Sakuya," Marisa quickly said. "You might give her the wrong idea, ze. Even if you _did_ hit her, you'd only make her angry."

This was something I _really_ didn't want to know!

Sakuya reluctantly put them away, as Yuyuko continued her drinking of tea. She smiled at me.

"So, young man, this Haruhi or whomever she is. Do you really think she created all of us in Gensokyo?"

I just stared at her, not sure if she was serious about asking that question with what was going on in her house. Before I could answer, Lunasa was seen flying past the doorway the Prismrivers went through. We heard her bounce off the floor and crash into something.

"Aw, I liked that Ming Vase. Youmu, see if you can get someone up here to make another perfect copy."

"Yes, my lady."

_Why in the world is everyone but me and the maid so calm?_

We heard the footsteps coming closer. My body tensed as a tall woman with short green hair wearing a red plaid skirt and waistcoat, with a white shirt underneath and carrying an umbrella walked into the room. She tapped the umbrella in her hand like she was going to beat someone to death with it. Hell, that's how she looked - like she _wanted_ to beat someone to death. If looks could kill, her glare would have killed us all within seconds.

Lunasa crawled into view. Her head was swaying a bit, but it appeared that she had something to say.

"Ah...introducing...Yuka...Kazami..."

_So. In Gensokyo, dealing with flowers __**does**__ make you a badass._

The Prismriver then collapsed after introducing us to the one who beat her up. The Youkai of Flowers stood there, staring down Reimu, Marisa, and Alice. They lifted their cups at her, which Yuka gave a single nod to before speaking.

"Took you idiots long enough to resolve this incident."

That was directed at Reimu and Marisa, I think. They didn't respond at all. I noticed that Alice was shaking in complete fear at the sight of this youkai. Yuka walked to the table, grabbed Merlin by the leg, and flung the poor unconscious phantom behind her. Merlin hit the wall and slid down without a sound. I also took note that the impact had cracked the wall, and left an imprint of Merlin's face on it.

Already I knew that Miss Kazami there was a person to be respected.

Kazami then sat down, and glared at Yuyuko. Yuyuko showed no fear - instead, she returned the glare with her carefree smile.

I felt the tension in the room. Everyone was waiting for Yuka to do something, and I was afraid it was going to be very violent. The staredown between Yuyuko and Yuka made me uneasy, to say the least. Most uncomfortable five minutes that I could recall sitting through. I think Yuka was searching for a reason to attack, plain and simple. When it was fairly obvious that the smiling Yuyuko wouldn't give her such a reason, the youkai spoke.

I also wondered if this youkai was the one Yuyuko was talking about - the one who slaughtered the Sagiyou Monastery, but Yuka Kazami wasn't that youkai, I would later learn.

"Okay...mind telling me a good reason why I shouldn't reach over there and make you pay for what you've done, Yuyuko?"

Yuyuko calmly took a sip of tea.

"First off, Miss Kazami, I would like to apologize."

"Yeah, that's a given. But I'm still waiting."

"Have a slice of pie, while I tell you what happened. It's _really_ good. The pie, I mean."

* * *

"_Look!_"

Cirno shouted from the window. Mystia and the rest of the girls gathered around. Mystia didn't know what to see, what they were called over for-

A flash of white and red, an obvious fairy. At least, that's what Mystia saw in that instant it flew by. In that same instant, the snow stopped, the piles already starting to melt, it took a while for Mystia to really grasp this while witnessing the all the snow melting outside.

Mystia stood there, wide eyed and amazed. She tried to speak, but nothing came out.

_Lilly White is real!_

* * *

"I never liked her. She has a spell card called 'Withering Flower'. Such a horrid creature anyways. Reimu, you let her off light."

"I burned her."

Yuka chuckled.

"Like I said, _light_. You were too soft on her."

Defiantly, Reimu crossed her arms, smirking.

"You know I always do my best to exterminate youkai that need exterminating. Like you."

"And yet I'm still breathing."

"Can't hold me to that. I was only thirteen and not as experienced as I am now. Though I was, no offense, still experienced enough to beat _you_."

_Who the hell is this youkai that makes everyone fear or respect her? And one called "Youkai of Flowers" at that?_

Yuka scoffed at what Reimu said, then her gaze settled on me and Sakuya. _Ah, crud._

"So, you're the new ones here."

Yuka leaned over the table, grabbing me by the chin, and studied my face closely. I'd be lying if I said my heart didn't skip a beat there. Sakuya had her knives out to Yuka's neck, but Yuka pushed her umbrella into the maid's side with her other hand. This didn't stop Kazami from looking me over. Having her that close to me, I noticed that Kazami smelled of flowers, mostly sunflowers.

"Young man, you have the essence of cherry blossoms all over you. I like that. If you were a few more years mature and a youkai, I'd ravage you right here and now."

_Whoa, there!_

She said that with a very deadpan look on her face. She was dead serious, it seemed. _ Who the hell says something like that to someone they just met?! Okay, when did this dinner party take a turn for the Twilight Zone? _

_Although, she is very... Hmmmm. _

My mind did wander a bit. Me and a youkai...Especially her. Kazami really is a full-bodied woman...er...youkai. Or youkai in human form. You know, I don't want to waste any time with the logistics of that. Either way, she's hot.

"I'd rather you didn't ravage a boy on my dining room table."

Part of me felt like protesting to what Yuyuko said but I quickly let it go. Kazami again scoffed.

"Hmph. Too bad. I'd rock his world."

Suffice to say, several thoughts flashed through my mind. I won't get into them. Kazami's eyes focused on Sakuya.

"And, maid, get those knives out of my face."

"What are you going to do, poke me to death with your umbrella?"

_Not the time to be antagonizing, Sakuya._

Marisa just shook her head as she took another drink, rolling her eyes.

"Ah, boy. Here we go."

After letting go of my face, Yuka sat back, and while still staring at Sakuya, aimed her umbrella to her left. Lyrica, who had gotten back up, found herself exactly where the umbrella was pointed at. Eyes widened, she gasped and dove out of the way. The next instant, a laser, not unlike the Master Spark, shot from the tip of the umbrella.

Scratch that, _way_ more powerful than the Master Spark. There was a huge hole in the wall.

And the wall behind that one.

And the wall behind that. And the next couple of trees after that outside. I stared at the destruction Yuka caused, before my eyes wandered to what was making noise in the room. Lyrica was shaking like a leaf on the floor in the fetal position, whispering gibberish to herself, tears in her eyes. Sakuya and I slowly turned to face each other. Both of our jaws dropped. Marisa chuckled as she leaned back.

"Who do you think I learned the Master Spark from?"

_Oh, wow._

Marisa saying that also made another thought cross my mind, wondering if Yuka was the one Marisa served. I'd later learn that she wasn't.

Sakuya slowly turned to Yuka. The maid then cleared her throat.

"...I do apologize for my behavior just now..."

"Yes, I'm sure you do."

_Is there anything I can apologize for, just in case? Like the dirty thoughts I had of you a while ago?_ Then again, thinking about it, she would have possibly flat-out killed me if she found out. Instead of asking for apologies, I asked Lyrica a question.

"You all right, Lryica?"

"Screw you!"

_Yeah, I think she's fine._

Staring at the new holes in the walls of her house, Yuyuko blinked a few times before nonchalantly speaking.

"Miss Kazami, I'd truly be appreciative if my entire house wasn't destroyed. I have made my apologies."

"Yeah, you did. I was still going to beat some sense into you, but anyone who offers me a slice this good gets a little reprieve."

_Yuka doesn't fear Yuyuko? Yuyuko acts like she respects her? And Marisa learned the Master Spark from her? Just who or what is Kazami?_ The youkai continued.

"Anyways, I need to get back down there. Because of you, I have a lot of catching up to do. I trust you let go of the fairy?"

"Yes, the Prismrivers released her some time ago."

Kazami nodded.

"Thought so. All right. So, shall we get going? Like I said, I have a lot of work to do."

And with that, my first meal in the afterlife ended.

So bizarre.

* * *

-begin-

SAIGYOU AYAKASHI resealed.

Team recalled.

Subject [NAME REDACTED] "KYON" survived.

This only further shows his importance to our cause.

Any side of the war that has him can't lose.

However, Mission [REDACTED] failed.

Product GENSOKYO will not be frozen.

Will accept full responsibility for this failure.

Asking superiors to be lenient due to the unreliability of Tool LETTY WHITEROCK, whose control we've completely lost.

-Kuyou Suou

-end-

* * *

**Originally, Yuyuko did -not- find out who was under the tree - she was knocked out by the time her other self revived. Everyone else saw. That was the great irony of Perfect Cherry Blossom.**

**At least...that's what everything that I've gathered about PCB is telling me. I could be wrong, as I've never beaten it. The Prismrivers always make short work of me (That battle is a 3-on-1 Battle! Unfair much?). But anyways, I am taking liberties here. Fan fiction, after all.**

**And yes, I am sort of taking the story from VISIONNERZ' "Maiden Illusionary Funeral Before and After", with that story's origin for the friendship between Yukari and Yuyuko. Very good doujin.**


	11. ICB Episode 11 Friend

**Well, "I Before A Except After K", I guess I'm just not as well read as Kyon. Just a weakness of mine, I suppose.**

**It wouldn't be something Touhou fan-made if Meiling doesn't get the short end of the stick one way or another, now would it?**

**Not a lot going on in this episode, really. I've always wondered what caused Remilia to retreat to Gensokyo...and then while doing a little research on vampires, I found a certain incident that happened in Europe.**

**It fits perfectly.**

**And look for a surprise appearance this episode. For a character not scheduled to show up until...part 10.**

**Also, you guys have gotten this to over 4,000 views! In just 11 weeks! Nice job!**

**The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is owned by Nagaru Tanigawa. Touhou Project is owned by ZUN and Team Shanghai Alice. I own neither. This is a fan fiction of those works.**

**Beta Readers for this Episode (Alphabetical Order):**

**Serendipital**

**superstarultra**

* * *

The snowstorm was disappearing, almost instantly. The clouds were there one second, and they dispersed the next, allowing the moon's light to fully bathe the land. Anyone looking up would have seen the beacon of light in this storm come from above the clouds - the spring fairy. The snow stopped, the temperature rose, causing the snow already on the ground to melt within minutes.

Remilia sat on the porch of her mansion, staring at the ground but yet not staring at it. She had numbly seen the spring fairy come through her yard, but instead being filled with wonder at such a creature, she still only felt sadness. She couldn't bring herself to go inside, to watch Patchi get sewed up or whatever. Remilia didn't feel strong enough to watch her die right in front of her if it didn't work.

The only sound was the water pouring off of the roof. The entryway inside was being used as a makeshift infirmary - the door opened, and the busy sounds could be heard for a few seconds before it closed. Meiling sat down next to Remilia, her arms and hands covered in bandages here and there. Remilia swallowed hard before asking.

"...Meiling? Is Patchi..."

Meiling placed her bandaged hand on Remilia's shoulder, smiling.

"She made it. She's doing just fine, Milady. She'll be in bed for a while, recovering, but that's like a normal weekend for her anyways."

Remilia just nodded and took a deep breath.

Then she let it all out.

Meiling held on to her crying Mistress.

* * *

******Imperfect Cherry Blossom**

**Episode 11**

**["Friend"]**

* * *

_**"By sharing your feelings with someone else,**_

_**The power of joy is doubled, and the power of sadness is halved."**_

**-Yukari Yakumo, from the Doujin "Youkai in Love ~Romantic Fall~" by: VISIONNERZ**

* * *

Yukari and her two servants watched the sky, the clouds and snow stopping dead. Up in the gloomy gray clouds of the massive snowstorm, a shimmering light appeared, and then to kill the storm she came. Lilly White was free to do her long awaited purpose: bringing spring to all the land. Chen let out a noise, she was trying to say something, but was obviously speechless at this display.

Yukari smiled. The fairy was actually quite powerful, able to bring a whole season behind her. All fairies were a part of nature, were necessary for nature, but Lilly was the one unique exception. She _was_ nature. She never conversed with any of the other fairies, and she never had contact with anyone. She never talked. But that fairy had one purpose that it always performed. When the time comes, end winter and bring about spring.

Normally the spring fairy would do sections at a time, take her time, give spring the coaxing it needed. This year, right now, Lilly was flying with a vengeance, going faster than even Yukari thought possible for a fairy. She was flying literally like a bat out of hell. At this rate, all of Gensokyo would be free of winter within the hour.

Of course, her being free meant one thing. Those four succeded. Her friend Yuyuko was defeated.

Bringing the boy to Gensokyo was a whim. She had seen that Whiterock had done something to the boy, and brought him in to find out what it was. She tested him, to see if he could survive, and he did survive against the youkai of shadows. Finding out about that boy, finding out about Haruhi Suzumiya in the months since then...was a shock. She also found out what was about to happen.

Yukari had to quickly design a plan to accommodate things. The Sky Canopy Domain interfering with the affairs of Gensokyo by using Whiterock had made things interesting, yes, but Yukari wasn't worried. She set things up. And from the looks of things, it all paid off. Everything went according to her design, even though that design had more variables in it than she'd like.

But it had to be this way, through agents. It's been a while since she'd been directly involved, and an even longer while since she used force for her own means, since she wielded the Roukanken.

Yukari sighed, thinking about it again. The Roukanken, the katana she gave to the Konpakus so it could always protect Yuyuko, even though the last time she wielded it she couldn't stop the sacrifice to save her friend, which was why she could never bring herself to wield it again.

She shook her head at the whole thing. The only reason Yukari and Yuyuko met was because Yukari wanted the temporary makeshift barrier they put on the Ayakashi to fail so it could consume all of humanity. Wanting to kill the sacrifice needed before she could fulfill the wishes of those monks with the ugly hearts, that is, until she saw the beauty in the heart of Yuyuko. Yuyuko was branded a freak and was chosen to die, but she accepted her fate with a smile. Such an elegant soul, to push through the sadness of her situation. Yukari never met anyone or anything like her before or since, not in a thousand years. It was sad that when she became a ghost, she lost her past self and memories.

Though in reality, it was for the best, really, the sacrifice. The Ayakashi began to consume not just humans, but youkai as well. It was something she learned after the fact, and it helped relieve the loss just a bit...

_You promised me, Yuyuko. You would never forget me even if you died. That's what you said as you killed yourself. You liar. You..._

_Stop it. "We should feel sorrow, but not sink under its oppression."_

Confucius always did have great sayings. Yukari took a deep breath, allowing her emotion to run its course, and then let out that breath. She felt better.

_Haruhi. Thank you. Thank you for this. Your chosen one has brought her back to me._

Soon, Yukari would have an audience with the boy. Allow the boy to see her again. Allow herself to be known to Reimu Hakurei. It would soon be time for the two forces protecting Gensokyo to meet, and to explain the connection to the girl Haruhi Suzumiya.

Yukari would have a _lot_ of explaining to do for it to make sense to them, to get them to see it how she saw it, how she came to understand it. She would have to choose her words carefully. Shouldn't be too hard. After all, there are those who sought to destroy the machinations of the girl simply because they _are _the machinations of the girl. The boy had some understanding of the war going on in his world. It should make sense to him, at least.

"Lady Yukari, we have a lot of work to do, don't we?"

"Yes, Ran. Yes we do."

"The humans and youkai are out of livestock, food is scarce, and even if they started to plant crops tomorrow, it'll take a long time for them to see any food."

Triumphantly twirling her parasol, Yukari smirked. She was actually looking forward to the work. This new her actually surprised even herself. And all it took was finding out about Suzumiya.

_If it's my purpose to "run" Gensokyo, so be it._

"We'll just have to simply spirit away some things from the outside world then," Yukari replied to Ran. "Yes, we have a lot to do to make sure everyone in Gensokyo survives. We need to get to it right now."

Chen tugged on Ran's sleeve.

"'We?' You mean you're taking me with you, Lady Yukari and Miss Ran?"

Ran smiled at her little servant, and scratched her under her cap.

"Yes, Chen. You're ready to help us out."

Chen purred. Yukari smiled at this, but when she turned back to the fairy flying over Gensokyo, her face went serious, because she had a hint of a bad mood.

_Yes...getting food for everyone in here...but first...first I feel the need to give the Sky Canopy Domain a little poke for what they did to us._

'When anger rises, think of the consequences.' Yukari knew this, but it didn't matter to her. It would probably make matters worse, but the Sky Canopy Domain needed to know that she and her home should be treated with respect, and that there would be consequences for those that wanted to try her.

Yukari had to make the Sky Canopy Domain think of the consequences.

* * *

We walked through Hakugyokurou, all of us - Sakuya, Reimu, Marisa, Yuka, Yuyuko, Youmu, Alice, the Prismrivers and I, and I was finally able to appreciate this realm of the afterlife. Amazing. The walkways were perfect, the flowers in perfect rows, grass cut to perfection. Everything was perfect everywhere. Bushes cut to sculpture, just plain amazing. There were ghosts walking/floating about, going wherever they were going, doing whatever dead artists do, not paying us any notice, each living in houses that were spread around this place. This _was_ the afterlife. Besides a realm of clouds, this might have been what I would have thought up if I was asked what the afterlife was like.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sakuya gathering up some of the soil from this place and placing it into an empty jar. I wondered what that was all about. Then again, after everything we'd been through together that day, I didn't feel like questioning any of her actions. I've learned so much about her - she went from a complete stranger to what felt like a close friend in just two days.

Alice spoke up, wide-eyed in wonder, finally impressed, her voice blatantly showing her feelings.

"The gardeners up here are amazing!"

"Actually, it's all my Youmu."

That was Yuyuko. I raised an eyebrow at the bandaged gardener (was it just me or was she happy that she was bandaged up, like it was some sort of badge of honor for her?). I mean, yeah, we knew she was the gardener, but of the whole place? And for it to be of this quality? Youmu kind of blushed as Yuyuko continued.

"Well, this _is_ the realm of artists, after all."

Yuka bent over to a flower, gently looking it over. She got up and smiled at Konpaku.

"Very well done. It's happy, a perfect specimen of a Lycoris."

The Youkai of Flowers stepped up to Youmu, smiling.

"You know, gardener, I was gonna beat some sense into you for bringing me here against my will...but..."

She turned her head to a bed of flowers.

"...but anyone who puts this much passion and work into making such a beautiful garden is all right in my book."

I stared at Youmu in amazement, after Yuka turned and continued to go over the flowers.

"But for you to be the sole gardener? I mean, everything is perfectly trimmed!"

Youmu gave me a slight smile.

"I don't use my blades for just attacking, you know."

She approached a lone bush, putting her hands on both of her blades. She quickly ran around the bush, swiping at it, the bits and pieces coming off, forming -

Sakuya?

A perfect 1:1 bush copy of Sakuya Izayoi. Youmu blew on both of her blades before she sheathed them, and turning to us with a satisfied smile. The maid walked up to it, wide-eyed.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't more than a little impressed, and I was glad I was no longer her target, not with her skills with a sword. I wouldn't stand a chance. Sakuya let out a low whistle.

"...Wow."

I couldn't help but smile.

"A phantom gardener just made a replica of you out of a bush in less than ten seconds, and all you can say is 'wow'? So, uh, Youmu. I have a question."

Since I had some downtime, I was able to get my thoughts on other things. There was one thing that was bugging me about Miss Konpaku.

_That_ thing.

"Yes?"

"What's with that ghost that's following you? Is it a pet or something?"

Youmu turned to the ghost thing. Call me crazy, but the ghost thing turned towards her, too, as if they were both staring at each other going "What's with this guy?"

"It's me," Youmu said, turning back to me.

"You?"

"Yes, it's me."

_Doesn't make any sense!_

"So who's the human before me then?"

"Youmu Konpaku. One half of me."

I scratched my head.

"What? Okay, let's start this again. Who is the ghost?"

Youmu gave me a deadpan look, after a flash of annoyance crossed her face.

"One half of Youmu Konpaku."

"And the human?"

Again, that same seriousness.

"One half of Youmu Konpaku."

My head hurt by then.

"So...the two entities in front of me are Youmu Konpaku? They both make up Youmu?"

"Correct. I told you: I'm half non-ghost. Half human, half ghost."

I had to glance around, looking for confirmation of what I heard, that I actually heard it. Those of us there that were alive each had a raised eyebrow, I guess processing the nature of Youmu as well. As for me...

Any other day I'd wrack my brain around that, but I was kind of burned out. So, okay. She's a physical representation of a half human/half ghost entity...in two entities, if that makes sense. I could accept that. Why not? After all, if that world was indeed Haruhi's creation, then it makes perfect sense in it...by _making no sense._ Although I don't think telling this swordswoman that her existence makes no sense would be a smart idea. _Ah! Why am I even having to think the logistics of this stuff! Haruhi, your lack of logic continues to irk me even when you're not around! _

"Yes, my Youmu is quite the curious creature, isn't she?" Yuyuko giggled. "I gave her ghost half a cute little nickname, since even I get confused."

"Lady Yuyuko, please-"

"I like to call it 'Myon'."

Youmu blushed. Both of them. Or, uh, hmmm...each half? Again, head hurting! And seeing a ghost blush didn't faze me.

At least I wasn't the only one with an unwanted nickname, it seemed.

Sakuya thankfully brought me out of that headache I walked into as she spoke up.

"Youmu, why me? Why make a sculpture of me?"

"You're strong, stronger than I am. And when you told me about tenacity to protect our respective mistresses, I looked into your eyes and saw you were telling the truth."

Youmu blushed again.

"I...respect you, Izayoi."

The maid grinned.

"'Sakuya' will do just fine."

I don't know about anyone else, but I found this to be nice. I just did. Those two, Sakuya and Youmu, fought each other over an hour prior, but were possibly forming a friendship right before me. Yeah. It's nice.

When we got to the bottom of the staircase, the Prismrivers turned to their mistress, asking if they could have the freedom to go to the realm of the living and perform. Yuyuko granted them permission, and they flew off. Yuyuko looked up at the rift as the Prismrivers left, and looked back at the sealed gateway into the realm of the living.

"Well, we will need to ask my friend to undo the barrier around the door."

Without saying anything, Kazami just walked up to the door and kicked it open, the visual symbol surrounding it from this side shattering. Youmu did a double take.

"_How?_ Lady Yuyuko and I couldn't get it open even when we combined our powers! I had to slash at the weakest connection from the nether-realm to the realm of the living just to get around that!"

_She had to slash her way out of the afterlife to get around that seal. And Kazami just kicked her way out. Makes no sense. Don't care anymore. Head hurting._

Kazami just blankly stared at Youmu, said nothing, and walked out the gate. I laughed nervously at this whole scene as did Marisa.

"Don't ask how Kazami does it, ze. She just does it."

Alice shrugged half-heartedly, a tired look on her face, like she'd temporarily given up on logic. I didn't blame her.

"Miss Saigyouji, how did you hold her in the first place?"

"It took a lot of ghosts to physically hold her, my dear puppeteer. Though I'm thinking if she could just kick that door open, then why didn't she try to break free?"

The question I'd ask would've been how they kidnapped her in the first place. Either Youmu got lucky or...well, I think Youmu got lucky. Not that I want to take away anything from Youmu, but she had to be lucky to capture Yuka. Kazami reached the end of the platform in the realm of the living, and turned to us.

"I'm not looking forward to all the extra hard work I'll have to be doing, but it's for the flowers. It has to be done. Marisa...and maid! Pleasure seeing you two."

"Thanks and same here, ze!"

Sakuya simply curtsied as Yuka held out her hand.

"Marisa..."

Marisa grinned and walked up to the youkai, giving her a handshake.

"Well, Yuka, it's been real, you know?"

Even after the handshake, Yuka still held out her hand. The youkai raised an eyebrow, the corner of her mouth wrinkling.

"Marisa..._give_."

The witch's emotions did a 180 - she sheepishly lowered her head as she brought something out of one of her pockets and handed it to Yuka. The youkai glanced at it, and tossed it to Youmu.

The ghost stared at it for a bit, before she quickly patted down her dress. Anger rose in her face.

"What the - my wallet!"

I couldn't help but laugh at all this. Mind you, I had to stifle myself. But it was still funny.

Marisa just shrugged.

"I was only gonna borrow it, ze."

_Marisa, no. Just no._

The Youkai of Flowers shook her head.

"Always up to your old tricks, witch."

Marisa gave another shrug. A smile crept on Yuka's face as her gaze fell on Margatroid.

"Alice...I just _love_ what you've done with yourself. You won't regret it."

Alice's eyes lowered to the ground in response.

"There are times I do, Kazami."

"Well, don't be ashamed of what you've become. Learn to embrace it, because it's a lot of fun. Reimu!"

"Yes?"

"It's been a while. I still need to challenge you for another round."

Reimu defiantly smirked at the youkai, narrowing her eyes.

"You know where to find me, Kazami, but not for the next few days. Now that spring is coming back, I'll need to prepare for the flower viewing at my shrine."

"Yeah, of course. Can't ruin that. And, young man!"

My body jolted a bit in surprise. I did not want her speaking to me, though I guess I had no say in this matter. This was different from anyone else I've ever met. It felt like Kazami was force and domination incarnate, with the way she carried herself, and the way others reacted to her. Surprisingly even more so than Remilia. I bet Yuka could even order Haruhi and/or Remilia around without any trouble.

I'd actually pay to see Haruhi taking orders from Kazami, thinking about it.

"...uh, yeah?"

A mischievous smile formed on the face of the youkai of flowers. I hoped she wasn't planning something.

"You know what? Whatever you did to have that essence about you, keep it up. Maybe you'll catch me in a mood when I won't care about age or human-youkai differences."

She winked at me.

"See you around, little boy."

The heat in my face rose to unprecedented levels.

* * *

I don't think anything could have prepared us for what we saw of Gensokyo when we exited the afterlife. We had said our goodbyes to the ghosts, left Hakugyokorou, and saw that the snow was gone, all gone. We stood there in stunned silence at the edge of the platform, staring down at Gensokyo. I had to rub my eyes, all of us did. Turns out Gensokyo is full of surprises, even for my companions. Alice's jaw hanged open.

"By the Gods. Lilly White was for real."

Marisa turned to me, excitement in her eyes.

"My dad used to tell me bed time stories about her, ze. I always loved hearing about her...but she's actually real!"

"A single fairy can change the season...wow," said Sakuya, rather tiredly. "Too bad we didn't see her, huh, Kyon?"

I did not answer Sakuya. I don't know why I didn't tell them that I did see Lilly White. Then again, I was tired, the adrenaline in my body that had erupted during the encounter with the Saigyou Ayakashi had all but gone, and I was running on four hours sleep.

* * *

We weren't prepared for what happened back at the Scarlet Devil Mansion either. Part of the East Wing had collapsed, a good third of it. Sakuya took one look and dashed forward, the rest of us right behind her. We passed by a girl with short black hair standing on top of the fence - white shirt, black skirt, and a weird little red hat on her head. She was taking pictures of the wreckage, and said nothing as we passed by. I thought nothing of her.

Thinking about it now, I should have - she had what looked like big black bird wings on her back. She was _something_; I would later learn that she was a Tengu, a crow variant. A Tengu journalist, at that.

_Okay, whatever. Tengus in here. Why not._

The entryway was being used as a makeshift infirmary, cots and cots of servants. There was nothing I could do to help out anyone - we even tried to use some of the cherry blossoms Koakuma had gathered, but my Supernatural Border wouldn't work anymore. I was back to being useless. They started to work on everyone else though, making that invincible barrier. However, they didn't heal or have any of the other perks that my Border had, it just protected and warmed. Besides, everyone that was alive was already stable, so there was nothing to be done except let the injured heal. Marisa and Alice knew a few weak healing spells to help the wounded along, and got to it.

I was surprised to see Patchouli among the wounded. She was out cold, resting. I learned that she had to have surgery to remove a piece of debris from her body.

Meiling, who looked a bit injured herself, with parts of her body bandaged here and there, told us everything that happened. Patchouli almost dying. Two of the fairies sacrificing themselves to protect her, the collapse, everything. That, and we'll possibly never know why a select few barriers that held the mansion together against the weight of the snow on the roof failed and the rest remained. Koakuma suggested it may have been the combination of barriers together in close proximity - if it was all just one barrier, all it would take is one kind of dispell to undo it all. At least, that's how she attempted to describe how Patchouli wanted to avoid sabotage, just in case. But the combination of barriers, of all different kinds, may have cancelled some of the others out.

All magical logistics. I don't even know where to begin to understand such things.

It appeared that Koakuma was reluctant to tell us something. She eventually said that she saw an intruder right before the collapse, and that the guards were already making a sweep of the mansion to find whoever it was. I'd later hear that they didn't - whomever it was got away.

Reimu was silent throughout the whole thing. As Marisa and Alice were attempting to help heal the wounded, Reimu just wordlessly walked among the cots, gazing at the injured. The miko went to Sakuya, and they conversed - about what, I don't know. Then, Reimu left. I wouldn't see her for days.

A distressed Sakuya went from bed to bed, checking in with each of her maids, talking to the ones that were still conscious, and speaking to whoever was near the ones that were out cold. From what I heard, Sakuya spent the whole night up, attending to the wounded.

All that was just too much for me. I felt so physically, mentally, and emotionally drained by the end of it all. I was right - it _was_ one hell of a day. I went around Gensokyo, witnessed magical fights, actually flew in two of them, actually _flew_ period, found Mayohiga, went to the freaking afterlife, and prevented the end of the world. All in all, not too shabby in that I managed to live through it.

As I was useless in such a medical predicament, I hung around, trying to feel useful, but ultimately failing. I was only getting in the way by standing around. I slipped away, hoping to whatever God was out there that the maids and Patchouli would make it through the night. Passing a grandfather clock, I had noticed that it was 11:57 PM. After everything I had been through, the day did not end. Truth be told, I was expecting it to become dawn already. Then again, I was thankful it wasn't. I was only running on four hours sleep after all, and like I said, I was completely drained. I fell asleep in some random sitting room before midnight struck, completely and utterly tired - I plopped down in some chair, closed my eyes, and that was it. I was out - didn't even wake up until one in the afternoon the next day.

There was one other thing to note here before I left the entryway to fall asleep. One thing that just blew my mind.

Remilia was in a sleeping bag right next to Patchouli's cot.

_She is just like her._

* * *

**Two Days Later.**

**April 4th, 2004.**

Meiling saw a woman standing in the garden when she came out to do her morning Tai Chi. The gates were kicked open. Her body tensed, trying not to fly into a rage. They had _just_ gotten the new lock in!

Then she saw it was the youkai of flowers. Kazami stood there, smiling, waving her arms like she was directing an orchestra; flowers grew in response, a symphony of colors. Already half the yard was covered in flowers in perfect rows. Meiling walked up to her.

"Uhm...hi?"

The youkai nodded at the guard while not missing a beat with her work.

"Good morning."

"Yeah, good morning...any...any reason why you're here?"

"I noticed your gardens don't have any flowers yet. I'm helping them along."

Meiling blinked a few times, pursing her lips before responding.

"Ooookay. I can see that, obviously. And you kicked the gate open because-?"

"They were closed. I needed to get in."

The guard closed her eyes, struggling to keep calm.

"But you could have _flown_ over them."

"I could have, but I didn't." Yuka then smirked at the gate guard. "And don't bother trying to tear up my body to paint the lake again. I was just surprised when we first met."

Meiling brought her hands to her face, trying not to scream as Yuka Kazami continued her work. Looks like Meiling would have to order another lock.

* * *

Mystia waved to her customers, relieved that business was back. The lunch rush just ended, nice and busy, and no one was at the stand. Mystia was washing her hands when a voice spoke up from behind her.

"Hey Mysti."

Drying her hands, the nightsparrow turned to the firefly, smiling.

"Wriggle, nice to see you. You disappeared before I woke up this morning."

"Yeah, I've been out house hunting, sorry I didn't leave a note, but you can't re...uhm, so yeah. I'm sorry. But I waited until your customers left. Can't have bugs near a kitchen, right?"

Mystia was a bit annoyed that Wriggle brought up her inability to read, but let it go. She also didn't like that Wriggle brought up that bug-kitchen thing.

"Aw, come on, Wriggle."

"No, it's okay. Just wanted to see you for a bit, and grab lunch before I head back out."

Wriggle sat down as Mystia shrugged and fired up the grill.

"Hey, Mysti...it was the Spring Fairy. It had to be."

"Wriggle, you know I was there with you guys. Cirno called us to the window when Lilly White showed up."

Mystia paused, sighing.

"I just...I still can't believe that she's for real," Mystia said as she waved around a skewer. "Yet there she was, keeping us from being snowed in. But what the hell happened? Yeah, she's real, but why did it take her so long to come out and end winter?"

She seasoned the lamprey and turned it. The firefly didn't answer, and was staring at the counter, apparently lost in thought. Mystia couldn't help but hold her gaze on Wriggle. She could see the gears in the firefly's head turning.

"...Wriggle, what is it?"

Wriggle sat there, blinking a few times, obviously going over something.

"Well, it's just that..."

Wriggle shifted in her seat before sighing.

"...You know what? It's nothing, probably. Just some stupid idea I got in my head anyways. Besides, the 'Spring Snow Incident' is resolved, and that's all that matters. Now everyone will go back to doing their regular things, just like with the Scarlet Mist incident. Nobody will really care after a while, even if we do find out what really happened."

"'Spring Snow Incident'?"

"That's what I've heard other youkai already starting to call it."

As Mystia put down a cup of tea for Wriggle, the firefly youkai stared into the cup.

"Already, Gensokyo is abuzz with rumors on what really happened. The shrine maiden and the witch teamed up again to take this thing on, it seems. But they were joined by two more people."

That surprised Mystia.

"Really? I thought that shrine maiden didn't like making new friends."

Wriggle shrugged.

"She doesn't. But the maid of the Scarlet Devil Mansion helped out, apparently, along with a boy from the outside world."

"A boy from the outside world?"

"Yeah, I think his name is 'Kyon' or whatever."

Mystia nodded at all this, processing it, as she turned the lamprey.

"Huh. Funny name."

Wriggle smiled a bit, already past this part of the conversation.

"Eh, it's not important. But I also wanted to ask...do you have any more of those marshmallow-things?"

Mystia scoffed at this, raising an eyebrow at the firefly.

"Hmph. You really _are_ a bug with that sweet tooth of yours."

"Come on! Those things were delicious. Put them on my lamprey."

"Marshmallows on eels? That's a new one on me."

* * *

Not much happened in the time since I woke up in that sitting room. Granted, it took me a while to realize what happened the previous day wasn't a dream. And then it took me a while to recover from the slight shock I had that I actually experienced such an adventure.

Going through it, it was scary at times. Looking back on it while sitting there...I had a blast.

How many people can say they went through what I just went through? Such an adventure!

At least I didn't go hungry - someone had left me breakfast in that room, even though it was cold. One in the afternoon and all. My money was on Sakuya leaving it.

Patchouli was actually conscious when I went back to the entryway - I guess Marisa and Alice's healing spells did some good, and I was "back to work" in getting her and some of the injured maids books and shelving them to pass the time.

The latter quarter of that day, April the 3rd, was spent trying to get me out of Gensokyo. Patchouli was in no shape to do any magic, it seemed, so it was up to Koakuma to try to do teleportation spells to get me out, but they all fizzled out, not working. By the end, Koakuma was on the verge of tears and apologizing to me for failing. It took me a while to calm her down, even though I _was_ disappointed.

Remilia then contacted Reimu to get me out, and Reimu agreed to, but not then, as her shrine's flower viewing festival was being held. It would have to be two days from then, on April 5th, so I had to wait.

It was day four of me being awake in Gensokyo, and I was having a lunch break outside with the gate guard under a tree near the gate, us sitting down on the grass.

Meiling told me what happened earlier that day.

"So Kazami broke the lock?"

I couldn't help but shake my head, amazed that Kazami did that, breaking the lock of the gate just to get in the yard and grow flowers. Meiling shrugged, obviously a bit peeved.

"Not much I could do about it. I've faced her before, and it's usually not worth it to get in a physical match with her."

"'Faced her before?'"

She smiled, allowing her eyes to go "youkai". At least, that's the term I've come up with, applying for whenever one of these non-human's eyes turns inhuman. Meiling's eyes went somewhat catlike, or maybe reptilian; I suppose that's the way to describe them.

"I painted the lake red with her blood. Remember when I spoke of that youkai?"

I sat there stunned. I had no choice but to believe Meiling. After everything I've been through two days prior, I was ready to believe anything while in Gensokyo.

"You actually tore her to bits?"

"What can I say - she stepped into my yard back then. But that's only because I got the drop on her. I guess she has some degree of respect for me, as she's never tried to get back, though I wonder if this was her way of getting some form of revenge. Then again, I can't complain, as she's doing my job right now. I just wish she didn't kill the lock like she did."

Her features going back to human, I sighed inwardly in relief. I didn't like it when they did that.

"Right. Gardener. Wait, right now? _She's still here?_"

Meiling nodded.

"She's somewhere in the backyard, I think."

She appeared to mull something over, and gave me a smile.

"Why, you want to take her up on her offer?"

_Offer? Aw, damn you, Sakuya!_ I didn't have any proof that it was her, but something told me that it was the maid who let that information out. I couldn't help but blush. This got another laugh from Meiling.

"Kid, Sakuya told me all about that little thing up there. It's been quite the humorous story to listen to."

She raised an eyebrow as I clenched my jaw, inwardly cursing at Sakuya a bit more. Turns out that Sakuya _did_ spread that.

"What, you think the fairy maids are gossip queens, as she called them? She's just as bad, actually." Meiling paused for a few seconds, thinking of something. "But you know what? You should go for it. We youkai are quite passionate."

_Wait, what?_ I couldn't believe what Meiling was saying - what she was implying.

"I mean, what's the worst that could happen?" asked Meiling. She then rolled her eyes. "Well, besides when a human doesn't satisfy their youkai partner, and the youkai eats the human."

_I guess that's a negative. A really, really, __**really**__ big negative._ Also, why was I having this conversation?! This was not a subject I expected to go over during lunch, much less with a very full-bodied woman who was extremely attractive.

But she did put ideas into my head, like thinking about youkai/human relations. I wondered if it was possible for a youkai and a human to have children.

"Human and youkai relationships are somewhat rare here in Gensokyo," Meiling said. "But they aren't unheard of. In fact, I think there is a half-human half-youkai as a shopkeeper in the human village. Then again, I rarely go over there, so I don't really know."

_Well, that answers that question. Humans and youkai can have offspring._ Interesting thing to know, I suppose.

Meiling paused and smiled. Obviously she was thinking about something. Her eyes locked with mine, and suddenly she crawled on her hands and knees, coming eye to eye with me, allowing her eyes to go youkai again. My heart skipped a beat, as she lowered her voice, a bit sultry this time. She was mere centimeters from my face.

"You know? You wanna know something? I wasn't actually lying when I said you were a tasty-looking morsel. I could easily eat you up, kid. In more ways than one."

_Wow._

I felt the heat in my face rising as she gave me another grin. She ruffled my hair as she chuckled. Then she used her index finger to bring up my chin, so I was eye to eye with her, and she winked.

"Ah, kid, you're just too easy to tease. You're so much fun."

I had to swallow hard, as my throat went dry for a second.

"You know, it's not fair that you say stuff like that!"

Meiling rolled her eyes.

"Well, if it was fair, then it wouldn't be fun at all."

_What kind of logic is that?!_

Before I could say anything, we heard a noise coming from the gate. Meiling's eyes narrowed, and she turned her head towards the sound. Taking a bite out of her sandwich, she stood up and went to her post. I couldn't tell if someone was there or not.

I shook my head and sighed, wondering if she was messing with me again. Thing is, she did put more ideas into my head. Mostly about her.

_Especially_ about her.

Well, I _am_ a teenage male. Of course I'm going to have such thoughts - and for a few seconds there, I entertained those thoughts.

_Meiling...hmmm. Those long smooth legs of hers, her fit, toned body. Her...bust. Her long red hair, the tanlines she has from being outside all day. And on top of all that, she's a youkai._ I've mentioned this before - when I had that conversation with Haruhi. About how...exciting...a friend would be to be...different. How did she put it? "Humans are no fun at all"? And right before me, there was a smoking hot woman who was not actually human.

I'm not gonna lie. It was...exciting, to say the least, to think of such things...Meiling was a paranormal creature with a human body - a killer female body at that. This happens in Sci-Fi, right? Non-humans with human-like bodies can be quite appealing.

_Hoo boy, do I need a cold shower._

I needed to stop that. Way too many ideas going through my head at that point..._Not to mention her bust matches adult Asahina's, if not surpassing it. Wow. I really need to clear my head of this stuff. _

Then again, you know what? I just realized right there. So far throughout my time in Gensokyo, I had not come across a single male. That I've seen, the staff there at the Scarlet Devil Mansion were all female, the people I have met during the incident were female... All the fairies that attacked us in Mayohiga, all were female, too.

_I'm surrounded by pretty girls in here. _ Sakuya, Reimu, Marisa, Meiling, Patchouli, Alice, Yuyuko, Youmu, the Prismrivers, Yuka...and those are just the ones who are at my age or above...in looks anyways. Heck, even that Yuki-Onna had a beauty to her.

Inwardly, I gave a thumbs up to Haruhi for creating such a place, part of me very grateful. Especially grateful for the smoking hot gate guard, even if she was a youkai. Double thumbs up there.

Oh, man, I still get chills thinking about that moment.

_Clear my thoughts clear my thoughts clear my thoughts._

I took a bite out of a bread roll as Meiling called to me.

"Hey, kid, wanna see a Kappa?"

My interest piqued, as I was going to see another creature in Gensokyo, and a Kappa, no less. A water goblin. Before I got up, I stared into my lunchbox. There was a cucumber...

_Kappa, huh? They're supposed to like cucumbers. Might as well see if it's true._

If it was a Kappa, she was in human form. She wore a blue dress that had a _lot_ of pockets adorned on it, with a key strapped in front. Her wellington boots shone in the sunlight, slick with water. Hell, she looked like she just got out of the lake - she was drenched. She had a big aquamarine backpack that was over-stuffed...which also made it look like she had a turtle shell. She adjusted her green cap as she stared at Meiling, but when her gaze went me with her blue eyes, she obviously became shy - shifting a bit, fidgeting with her shortly cut blue hair with two pigtails. This Kappa girl was actually very cute.

_Thumbs up Haruhi. Thumbs up._ Meiling couldn't help but chuckle.

"Aw, she's shy around humans."

The kappa girl lowered her eyes, still silent. Meiling bent down a bit, so she was eye level with the girl.

"But hey, I'm a youkai. You can talk to me, right?"

The girl nodded before speaking. Her face had a light blush to them, and the end of her wet pigtails clung to the side of her face. She brushed them off. _Oh, wow she's so cute._

"What is this place?"

"This is the Scarlet Devil Mansion, little...hmmm. What's your name?"

"Nitori. Nitori Kawashiro."

Nitori took a few steps back, taking in the mansion, and the repairs being made. She let out a little whistle.

"Wow. So this _is_ the famous SDM. I read in the newspaper that it had a collapse. Looks like the repairs are coming along...decently."

_Gensokyo has a newspaper? Well why not._

Meling shot me a look before turning back to the Kappa.

"'Decently'? _'Decently'? _What are you getting at?"

"Oh yeah." Nitori dropped her backpack, and opened it, revealing a collection of tools, doo-dads, and the like. "I wanted to ask if you guys were hiring to help along with the repairs. You see, I'm an engineer by trade."

"Really?" Meiling said, showing interest. She whistled back at the mansion, and a guard fairy came running out. "Yo! Tell the mistress we have a Kappa engineer wanting work!"

The guard ran back inside, and before I could even ask if that had any significance, Meiling nodded at me.

"If there's one thing Kappas are good at, it's engineering. Their stuff is high quality in Gensokyo."

"Huh. You know I never really figured Kappas for stuff like that."

"There's a whole difference between folklore and what's real, kid."

Especially when Haruhi is involved. Meiling continued, motioning to the kappa.

"These guys are the best at fixing and building things."

_I thought you said the best locks were made in the human village._

Nitori again blushed and looked down. I couldn't help but smile, her shyness making her even more cute. I brought up the cucumber. Instantly she smiled, beaming. I chuckled to myself - at least this bit of folklore was in fact reality. I gave it to her through the gate bars.

"Thank you friend!"

She happily began to eat it. I guess we were waiting for the fairy to come back with confirmation of Nitori being hired or whatnot, since we stood in silence for a while, well, minus Nitori crunching on the cucumber.

"Hey, there _is_ a village of Kappas, right?" Meiling said as she broke the silence. "I've heard it's located at Youkai Mountain. At the base?"

"Yeah. Genbu Marsh. That's where we live."

"And a village of Tengu up the mountain? That's where they live right?"

"That's true too. We work together, actually."

"Thought so."

The guard noticed the look of confusion on my face.

"The Tengus have printing presses. They make the newspapers for youkai, even selling some to the humans in Gensokyo. They also make manga. I always buy a few from the one who comes around selling them every other month. I _knew _there wasn't just a few tengu around. There had to be a village."

_Never figured Meiling for the manga type. But a village of Tengu. Interesting. However, that other rumor Meiling spoke about two days ago..._

"Uhm, Nitori." I said.

"Yes?"

"Is there really a path to Hell here in Gensokyo?"

_Yeah, I know it's a long shot, but I might as well know._ Meiling shook her head.

"You know, some of those rumors are really out there, and that's the one I believe the lea-"

"It exists," Nitori interrupted.

The two of us stared at the Kappa, wide-eyed. She simply shrugged.

"It's actually better now than it was before. I know all about it because the Oni would talk of it when they were still living on Youkai mountain there, the boss of us Kappa and the Tengu. They went back though. There's a new ruler there in the Underground who sealed off the worst part of Hell, so it's not so hot. They're more efficient, just gathering the exceptionally nasty souls and using them to fuel the Nuclear Reactor down there. Amazing power, and a surprisingly good fuel source. The true damned burn up quite well."

_Using souls for Nuclear fuel? What in the world..._

Meiling slowly turned to me.

"Well, kid. I guess you'd better find out which religion works, unless you want to be Nuclear fuel."

_Uhm, I'd ask if I could take back what I asked, but that would not be possible. Guess I'll go through with the rest of it then._

"Okay...so what about Heaven? A path to Hell, a path to Hakugyokurou, so what about Heaven?"

Nitori scratched under her cap.

"Ah, well, I've heard that there might be a way to physically get to Heaven from Gensokyo, but I personally don't know how, exactly. But I do know there is supposed to be a way to the Sanzu River."

_The river of the dead. Ah, man._

"You gotta be kidding me. This place has complete access to the afterlife realms?"

"From my understanding, human, yes."

"Gensokyo's an amazing place, isn't it, kid?"

I would walk away from that lunch, dumbstruck. It started to hit me.

Afterlife.

I had confirmation of the afterlife. Most people would kill to find out if there is more to it than the life we have, and yet I know for a fact that there is more. I wasn't filled with wonder, awe, or anything else but fear. Not fear for my soul - that would come later.

No. Fear for another thing. How it reacts to _her._

Haruhi _has_ to believe in an afterlife. When I thought about it, of course she does. She has to - it fits her. Who wouldn't want more to come after you die? It would fit for her - her need for more. Of course, for me, this changes everything, doesn't it? I've seen Hakugyokurou, touched its ground, breathed its air, eaten its food, so I know it does exist. Yet...it is weird about its physical aspects. Breathing air in the realm of the dead? That would go against convention and logic, but again, do I have to say who has to be behind this? Who I've come to believe who is behind all of this?

Convention and logic don't really go well with how Haruhi views life.

For the rest of that day, I spent contemplating what it really meant for me. The existence of something beyond it all. Meiling was right - I'll have to find out which religion works...which means whatever Haruhi believes in is going to work.

Wait, is that how it is?

Yeah, this is getting a bit touchy, thinking about it, even now.

So...wait. That brings up a frightening...very scary notion. Bear with me here. Haruhi could essentially control who goes to heaven and to hell, based on her own beliefs. It just depends on _what_ she believes in. If anyone could convince her to convert to their religion, it's...wow. They can guarantee themselves entry into heaven. Or even scarier, start their own cult, get her to join and believe, and _they_ decide themselves who is saved by using and controlling her...ah, man. So very scary.

I could see Koizumi's reasoning about keeping Haruhi stable. The implications of having her control not just how the world is, but the very lives and souls of the people within it...this stuff is way out of my league. I _would_ dwell on it, but doing so scares me.

Koizumi and the others were right. This is a very delicate situation I'm in. My initial reactions to them, of "why don't you just tell her", would have had dire consequences. I found myself respecting my Brigade associates a little bit more.

A high schooler should not have this burden of knowledge on his shoulders. _I swear, hanging out with Haruhi is going to drive me to drink. And I'm not even a grown adult._

* * *

Later that day, after nightfall, Remilia had called for me to walk with her in her yard. Sakuya was dismissed from her duties for the day, and the only ones walking side by side were me and the vampire mistress. We walked in silence for a bit in the midst of her gardens, before she stopped and turned to me, her eyes a bit sad.

"So, tomorrow might be your final day."

_Ah. So that's what this is._

"Yeah...that meeting you set up with Reimu."

She slowly nodded, scoffing a little.

"First off, I'd like to apologize for not being able to uphold my end of the bargain, Kyon. I said that if you were to go out there and help solve this, then we at the Scarlet Devil Mansion would get you out. Thing is...Patchi-"

I knew what she was implying, and of course I couldn't hold it against her.

"You don't have to apologize for that," I said. "It happened. It was beyond your control. The important thing is that she's still alive, you know."

I said that because she had essentially been beating herself up those days since it happened. I had noticed it - as well as the maids. It was just earlier that day did she manage to pry away from Patchouli's side.

Remilia slowly nodded. A tired look came across her face.

"I just..." Remilia paused, blinking a few times. "...I just never expected something this big to be the cause of it all. A youkai tree that could have ended the world, a girl who can control and create reality, and the fact that the entirety of Gensokyo's spring was gathering in your body."

"_You_ didn't expect it? How about me? _I_ never expected to wake up a few days ago thrust into this world."

_Not that I mind right now._

"Well, isn't it what you wanted?"

I shrugged, even though she did have a point.

"When I was a kid. When I was in junior high. I wanted all of this, to be a part of all this, or at least be a part of something like this, but I got over it." I rubbed the back of my neck. "I mean, I _thought _I got over all of this, and the past year has been something else, to say the least. I get all of this-"

"-And Haruhi," said Remilia as she started up the walk again, "the cause of it all, gets nothing. If that isn't irony, then I don't know what is."

Remilia grinned, showing those fangs of hers. I have to say, seeing Remilia smile after the past few days and what she went through, with Patchouli almost dying, the partial destruction of her home, the loss of some of her servants, it was kind of a relief. Weird though, isn't it? I haven't even known this person for a week yet, and the day that I really knew her, my first day awake, she wasn't really nice to me. Yet already I missed her smile. I smiled as well.

"What's sad is that even when I told her what was going on, she wouldn't believe it."

Remilia winked.

"In a way, she's like you."

That made me furrow my brow in confusion. She tapped her index finger on her temple, in a motion that said "think about it".

"What you said, right? After all, you too, were told about that. Your alien, time traveler, and esper friends all told you what was going on as well. And you didn't believe them either, right?"

"Well, not until I got proof."

"As did Haruhi, in a way. That snow mansion?" The vampire rolled her eyes. "How could she dismiss that as 'group hypnosis'? That has got to be the dumbest thing to work, if I may say that."

"Don't worry. You may. Matter of fact, _I_ think it was stupid."

In the back of my mind, I also realized that should I get back, it would have to be around that time. Back to New Years. I'd be back with the Brigade in Tsuruya's vacation house. And yet, so much has happened to me since then.

What was that quote from Lewis Carrol's Alice in Wonderland? _"There is no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then"_? I think that's how it goes. But would it apply to me?

Of course it would. I've found out a very special place filled with paranormal things. I found a sort of Wonderland.

Remilia kept talking, despite my musings.

"What's even sadder than being told is that she accepted your explanations. Poor girl. She wants all of this-" Remilia extended her arms out to the sky, implying all of Gensokyo, "-yet she's so ready to accept what other people tell her. She doesn't want to be a part of the herd of sheep that is humanity...when she is the biggest sheep of them all."

_That's going a bit too far, Remilia. But you do bring up an interesting point. Then again, it's due to that "logical side" Koizumi said that Haruhi has. I have to be thankful for that._

I crossed my arms and smirked at her.

"If you knew her, then you'd know that she doesn't accept what people tell her. For most of the time, anyway."

"Mmm...so, Kyon, Sakuya said that you didn't answer that ghost's question." Remilia quickly changed the subject. It seemed she had a few questions for me. "What was it...ah, yes. Do you really think Suzumiya is responsible for all of this?" The vampire said that as she made a sweeping gesture of her surroundings. "That after all this time, the past few days, do you really believe that Haruhi Suzumiya created all of this?"

I answered her pretty quickly.

"I do."

"Hmm. You're so ready to believe it. Why?"

"Well, Remi, if-"

She raised up a finger, a flash of annoyance washing over her face, giving me a small glare.

"You don't get to call me 'Remi', Kyon."

_Serves me right to try to call her that._

"Ah...okay...Remilia. Well, Remilia, if you've been through what I've been through, then you'd know that everything weird that happens to me is due to Haruhi. There are numerous occasions, but the one that stands out right now in my mind is when we made a movie."

For a brief second, I felt the need to tell Remilia what a movie was, but didn't she say that they came to Gensokyo fairly recently? Of course she would know what a movie was.

"You see, Haruhi wanted to make a movie, and she wanted things to happen for that movie. And they did happen...boy, did they happen. She wanted a talking cat - a talking cat showed up. She wanted white birds - all the pigeons around us turned white as doves. She wanted Asahina to shoot lasers out of her eyes...and it almost burned our faces off. That, beyond anything else, proved to me that she is responsible for such things."

The dumbstruck look on Remilia's face was quite amusing.

"...One of your friends had lasers shooting out of her eyes?"

She slowly shook her head as she stared at the ground, apparently trying to process that.

"Wow, Kyon. That's just really out there, even for my tastes. But it's also amazing. For such a being like Haruhi to exist, to manipulate the world with unconscious will..."

She winked at me as she brushed her hair out of her eyes.

"You sure do live an interesting life."

_I do, don't I? The past year has been very interesting, to say the least. I am in the middle of something far greater than I will ever know._

The vampire let out a little laugh, then turned towards the moon and stretched.

"Ah...so good to see the moon again. Those storms have been taking over the night sky for far too long. You did well, my servant."

_Excuse me?_

"I'm not really your servant."

"Actually you are."

_No, I'm not._ She crossed her arms as she continued to stare up.

"You worked for Patchi, who, despite being my best friend, actually does work for me. Therefore, you work for me."

_Remilia being a lot like Haruhi isn't a good thing._

"So she's just your librarian?"

She turned, obviously annoyed.

"Not _just_ a librarian, Kyon. She's a scientist, magical researcher, and most importantly, the tutor."

"Tutor?"

Remilia's arrogance came back, as she puffed out her chest in pride.

"I give my servants an education. I make sure they are intelligent. Patchi is a very good tutor...has been a good tutor for Flan..."

She lost that arrogance as she stared up at the sky, sighing over that. Why I asked the next question, I'll never know.

"Remilia, why did you let Flandre fight Reimu and Marisa?"

Her face went blank, and her wings flicked a bit. She hesitated, and slowly shook her head. Looked like I caught her off guard with that. The vampire stared me directly in the eye, her face serious.

"It was a gamble. One that paid off. You see, ever since becoming a vampire, I have never been beaten. I've come to a stalemate once..."

She trailed off on that, seemingly not wanting to go down that road. I gave her a reprieve by not pressing that issue.

"'Became a vampire'?"

Remilia gave me a crooked smile that flashed her fangs at me. She ran her tongue over one of them.

"Wasn't born like this, Kyon. I was turned at the age of twelve - Flan at seven. And I'm not going to get into my history here for you. You'll need to become a closer friend for that."

_Too bad. Might be very interesting._ Although what she said made me take notice.

"So, you consider me a friend then?"

She bobbed her head from side to side, appearing to mull that over.

"Actually, I think I do. You're quite easy to talk to, Kyon."

_Great. I'm friends with a vampire. You know, Haruhi would be so jealous. Hell, any facet of my odyssey since meeting her would make her jealous._ I then asked another question.

"How old are you, exactly?"

"_That_ I can tell you. I was born in 1502. Flan was born in 1507. I won't tell you much else about our past, but I can tell you about why I let Flan fight those two humans, Marisa and Reimu. You see, they tore through my servants. Meiling, Patchi, Sakuya...all deadly, but they all fell."

Remilia paused as she looked the fountain, seemingly inspecting it. We had walked around the mansion for one full circuit, and were at the front of the mansion. Remilia hopped up on the edge of the lower basin of the fountain, and sat there. I joined her.

"The miko...Reimu was quite cocky - she challenged me on a full moon, when the sky was scarlet, giving me the Red Full Moon. The Hunter's Moon - _my moon_. Do you know what she said? She said that she wanted to face me when I would be at full power, so I couldn't complain when she beat me. Cheeky little miko. And she backed it up."

Amazing Reimu got away with that. The vampire smiled, raising a single finger in the air, all "matter-of-factly".

_Man, her mannerisms are so much like Haruhi's. Remilia is more refined like a noble, but she just has those subtle ways of acting a bit like Haruhi._

"It was impressive that she beat me. But of course, I had my pride. So I thought of Flan. I actually didn't have to do anything, as Flan had heard the fighting, and became restless. She got out of her room, and started to destroy the mansion, searching for the cause of it all. I...I obliged, but not before giving her the rules of Danmaku."

"You let her destroy parts of your mansion?"

The vampire shrugged as she shot a glance towards her home.

"When Flan gets riled up, there is no stopping her. I dare say that Flandre is stronger than me at times. I think you know how that situation is, where sometimes you can't help but let the destruction run its course."

I knew what Remilia was implying. She continued.

"So...I...took advantage of it. I wanted Reimu and Marisa beat at their own game, by my sister. My sister, who can destroy anything. My sister, who made up her own illegal spell cards because she couldn't comprehend the 'full power is omitted' rule - she still lost."

Remilia stroked her chin, keeping her smile.

"Kyon, I was right to make the miko and the witch my allies. They have a drive I have not seen in a human since I acquired Sakuya."

_"Acquired Sakuya"? I might have to ask the maid what that really means_

"And it paid off," Remilia said. "Marisa was able to connect to Flan in a way. As a result, Flan has started to be a bit more social, more open to people. She was afraid of coming up out of the basement; no matter what I did in the past, I was never able to break her out of her shell, and kept her down there for her own good..."

Remilia lowered her head a bit, closing her eyes for a few seconds.

"I...I always failed...not only as her guardian, but as her sister. I never could get my sister to be normal. But those two helped her be... normal again. Flan is finally starting to live a somewhat normal life after nearly 500 years, all because of those two. They succeeded where I failed for half a millennium. I'm finally seeing my sister smile a smile of enjoyment again."

She stared up at the moon, giving another sigh. Before I could say what I wanted to say, Remilia appeared to anticipate it.

"I know, I know. Using my sister to get some degree of revenge wasn't very nice. But it worked out in the end, for everyone."

I was a little weirded out that she beat me to the punch there, even though it was true. Using her own sister like that was kind of fiendish. Inwardly I shrugged.

"So the end justifies the means?"

She smirked at me as she used her index finger to draw circles into the water of the fountain_. So...water doesn't hurt her? Wasn't that supposed to be a weakness of vampires?_

"I _am_ a vampire," Remilia said. "Aren't we evil creatures?"

"Depends on _whose_ version of vampires, I guess."

_I guess this is Haruhi's version?_

Remilia nodded, as she thought that over.

"True. Whomever is behind stories where we appear is usually in control of how we are portrayed. There have been good and bad vampires in fiction. However, for a real one, I think I fall on the latter." A sickly sweet smile crept on Remilia's face. "I make no excuse for what I am. I _love_ being what I am. Because if I didn't, I'd have regrets over what I've done in the past."

"Like..." I hesitated asking. "Like what?

Remilia's smile went wider, and her eyes glistened with some sort of perverted pleasure. Her voice showed that.

"'Like what?' A lot of violent things, Kyon. Things you wouldn't like to hear." Remilia hopped off the fountain, and went right in front of me, looking up into my eyes with her unnatural eyes. Her voice sort of changed, becoming...I want to say becoming more mature and intimidating for a vampire with a twelve-year old body.

"Such as tearing men into pieces with my bare hands. Razing villages. Personally torturing those who tested me. Spreading a path of destruction, pain, and suffering against those who didn't respect me. Or, if I was feeling _really_ sadistic, just give people I don't like to Flan. Real 'old school' stuff, is what kids your age would say."

Remilia turned and spread out her arms in a dramatic fashion, letting her wings stretch out so she seemed much bigger than she really was, which wasn't saying alot - for a second, I mused that she was actually short for someone with a twelve-year old body. Her voice boomed in the night sky.

"_I am a vampire! I am a descendant of Tepes! I am the master of the night!"_ She turned, pointing a finger at me, a somewhat crazed smile on her face. It was an unsettling sight to see. "There is a reason why I'm called the 'Scarlet Devil'. One, because I'm terrifying on the battlefield. Two - I usually end up covered in blood by the time I'm done with a fight, or when I'm feeding. That's why I was called that - not because of my name. _Because I was colored scarlet from the blood of my enemies!_"

_Yeah, I don't want to hear about any of that. I'd like to be able to sleep tonight, thank you._ But still, this was interesting. This child was one of the more frightening things I've ever come across. An actual child vampire. I thought Claudia from Interview with the Vampire was the best child vampire, but Haruhi's version here was way more interesting.

"I had to establish myself in Europe," said Remilia as her voice went back to her normal childish tone, "become _the_ most respected vampire out there."

"How was that?"

She went silent for a second, averting her eyes. She let out a sigh.

"Okay, for the most part. I did have some allies who pledged themselves to me, but they proved to be my downfall."

"What do you mean?"

She turned and began to walk towards the gate, her hands behind her back. She stopped after a few steps, and motioned for me to join her. I did as such. We walked in silence until we got to the gate. Remilia put her right hand on the iron bars, and stared out at the lake as she spoke.

"Meiling stated that we were here only for a few decades. To be more precise, we've been here since the 1970's, really. Have you heard of the 'Highgate Vampire'?"

My mind went over that, as I remembered reading about that. It was one of the most media-covered incidents about a vampire in recent history, if my memory served me correct. Europe. England - London, to be exact. There was supposedly a vampire around Highgate Cemetery, and vampire hunters claimed to have killed it. The incident started a fervor of vampire hunting. It was...a hoax. Supposedly a hoax. I told her that. _But if she's telling me about it, then it actually happened?_

"Well, that vampire was for real. It's just that at the end of the day, the government did not want to allow the fact that youkai are for real be known. So they moved some money around, got people to change their testimony, all the while funding vampire hunters to track my kind down. The problem was that before the Highland Vampire died, he gave up the location of his den, which was raided. That den had the coordinates for my home on their records." She nodded to her mansion. "That's why I had to move my mansion. They were coming for me and Flan. We were only able to get away because the two main vampire hunters, a Mr. Farrant and a Mr. Manchester, were too busy fighting each other."

She stifled a laugh as she turned and leaned against the gate. She appeared amused by this little story she was telling me.

"I wish I could have seen it. Those two, leading a mob of volunteer vampire hunters and the media, to the location of my mansion, claiming that the mansion would give undeniable proof of the existence of vampires...and the mansion wasn't there. Vampire hunters lost all credibility after that little incident, and about damn time." Remilia's smile was one of victory. "No wonder those two wound up having problems later in their lives, or so I've heard."

Remilia laughed for a good minute. I did have to admit - that was quite humorous. Then again, I did feel sorry for the guys. They were going to give solid proof that vampires existed, but they ended up having nothing to show for it at all.

To be so close to realizing your dream, to prove the existence of paranormal entities, of vampires to the world...and to have it all taken away. Not only that, but you get labeled as a hoax-starter, and lose all credibility. Poor guys. Can't even imagine how bad they feel.

I mean, imagine if Haruhi had found out about it, and she was going to prove the existence of the paranormal to the world, in order to validate her club...only for nothing to come of it, she would be heartbroken. Of course, she wouldn't show it, but she would be heartbroken.

"Ah, but this is boring," Remilia said as she pushed herself off the gate. She took a few steps past me, and stared up at the sky, facing the mansion, her hands clasped behind her. "Thing is, Kyon, tomorrow, you might be able to leave this place. Chances are, I'll be asleep by then. So, really, the reason why I wanted to talk to you tonight was, well, to talk to you. Other than Patchi, you're possibly the only other person I feel comfortable with. There is..." She paused, as if trying to come up with the words. "I can't describe it. There is something in you that makes people want to confide in you. They might tell you embarrassing secrets, or things they don't want to, or wouldn't say to others, but with you, I think they would."

What Remilia said struck a chord in me, making me pause and think. I thought back to Taniguchi and his telling me of Haruhi's infamous "Five Minute date". Chances are, that was _his_ failed attempt. I also thought back to all the times people have sat me down and explained things. Was such a thing true? Even now I think about it. Is there something in me that makes people tell me their secrets?

Another memory replayed in my head - that of Haruhi by the train tracks, telling me why she was the way she was. That she was afraid of being just another person, an anonymous human being swallowed up into the vastness of humanity. And of course I couldn't forget the other Brigade members and how they take the time to tell me things. Then again, most of it was necessary - there were a lot of things I didn't understand, that I would have needed them to explain everything to me. Either way, it might be annoying to have such an "ability", if I could call it that.

But maybe it works in my favor. I mean, if Asakura hadn't confided in what she was going to do back in that classroom, if she hadn't taken the time to explain herself instead of killing me outright, and given Nagato the time to save me...well, when Asakura was "human" in that alternate universe, she simply snuck up on me and stabbed me in the back. If it wasn't for my other self and the two Asahinas and normal Nagato, I would have died at the hands of a mere human Asakura. It would have been so damn easy for interface Asakura to tear me to pieces without explaining her motives.

I decided then and there. Whatever was going on with me, it was useful. Saved my life, after all.

The two of us stood there in silence, me with my thoughts, and Remilia staring up at the moon. It was a while before she spoke.

"What I'm saying, Kyon, is that in case I can't say it tomorrow-"

She turned to me. Grabbing me by the collar, she brought me to my knees, and quickly placed a kiss on my forehead - her cold lips soothing, sending shivers down my spine. Her inhuman eyes stared into my surprised eyes. Seeing her this close, this eternally twelve year old girl...she was cute, but I wondered how she would have looked had she been given the time to age a few years. Chances are, she would have been a very beautiful woman. And her eyes...her mesmeric inhuman eyes were drawing me in. This feeling washed over me, making me want to do whatever she wanted. At least, that's what it felt like.

Thinking about it now, I think I can attribute that to whatever vampires do to catch their prey - that "vampire hypnosis" made famous in those Dracula movies. Which meant that I was possibly under said hypnosis at that time. Thing is, I don't know if Remilia planted ideas in my head during that time I was lost in her eyes or what. At least she didn't feed on me, or say anything, I think. From what I could remember of that hazy time, we just stared into each others eyes. She kissed me again on the forehead, bringing me out of my daze. The vampire smiled at me, apparently satisfied with my reaction.

"-I want to say it right now. Goodbye."

And with that, she took a few steps back, and transformed into a bat.

_Uhm...okay. So that part about vampires is true as well. How about that._

It was quick, so quick, I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it. Better than any CGI the movies could do for this effect. Remilia flew away, into the night sky. All I could do was watch.

I don't know how long I was there, staring up at the sky where Remilia flew, but it must have been long enough. Meiling had come out of the mansion, walked up to me, and got me to my feet. She didn't say anything, just smiled.

_I am going to miss Gensokyo, I think._

* * *

-begin-

[ATTACK DETECTED]

[INITIATING COUNTERMEASURES]

[WARNING: DAMAGE DONE TO DATABANKS]

[WARNING: 51,671,433 FILES LOST OR DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR]

[UNABLE TO TRACE ATTACK]

-end-

* * *

-make new entry? y/n-

-y-

-begin-

**You like that, don't you?**

**-Love, Yukari**

-end-

-save-

-saving...-

-save successfull-

-quit-

* * *

**Ah, yes. ****Yuka Kazami****(she is also called "Yuuka", either way seems to be correct - mostly to clear up things. The nickname by fans for Yukari is "Yukarin", while the nickname for Yuka is "Yuukarin", so it's sometimes done with two u's to avoid confusion. Again, tangent, sorry.)...according to the Touhou wiki, it's essentially impossible to kill Yuka. Hell, in one Touhou fan game, she gets her arms pretty much ripped off and she still survives. Yes she is that badass. Yet she is only interested in flowers. Kind of a weird one to take care of flowers, huh? But she is very powerful, and has lived a long life, even for a youkai. She also is viewed and portrayed by the fans to be very...sadistic. Even for the fans to go so far as to call her the U.S.C. No, she's not a Trojan. That stands for "Ultimate Sadistic Creature". And I'm gonna refrain from going into further detail about that for obvious reasons.**

**Interesting theory a few fans have about her. Some of them have taken to go so far as to call her the embodiment of Mother Nature, even. This give you the scope of her power.**

**I found Yuka so much fun to write for.**


	12. ICB Episode 12 Dinner

**To "Logistics Error": I subscribe to the notion that the Haruhi series begins in 2003 for two things. 1 - The computer the computer club had, the state of the art one, was running Windows 95. Windows 95 was phased out in the early 2000's. 2 - In the first book, Kyon speaks of 1999 in the same breath as his junior high years. And for a third, out of the story reason, if I recall correctly, Nagaru Tanigawa came up with the concept of Haruhi as a New Years Dream in 2000. Three years later, out came the first book. The "three years ago" was 2000, when that world was **_**literally**_** born. (I think I used "literally" the correct way, Another Duck).**

**And pardon for me going on about that. Back to the fan fiction portion of our program.**

**I want to apologize in advance. Sorry for Ran not fighting in this story, for all you Ran-Lovers.**

**No, no King of Hyrule in this one. For most of you, that went over your head. I'm glad. Unless you've read some of the Haruhi crackfics. Then I'd just have Greg the Submarine stare at you.**

**Also, I hope all the build-up of Flandre satisfies you for her reveal, although I do realize, that if you have been reading the Haruhi crack fics, (and you should - especially superstarultra's!) then for sure you've seen Flandre in one of them.**

**Why would she smell of McDonalds and Peppermint Candies though? Blood and dust I could understand...**

**Oh I get it now. McDonalds because of the McRoll. Ahahahaha yeah.**

**Nice one, superstarultra. Nice one. I finally get it.**

**The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is owned by Nagaru Tanigawa. Touhou Project is owned by ZUN and Team Shanghai Alice. I own neither. This is a fan fiction of those works.**

**Beta Readers for this Episode:**

**Serendipital**

**superstarultra**

* * *

**The next day.**

**April 5th, 2004.**

Koakuma's footsteps echoed in the hallway, in the part of the mansion the servants rarely visited. It was a bit unnerving for it to be so quiet, especially with all the construction that had been going on. That, and it was very dark - shadows were everywhere. She swallowed hard as she turned the corner, and stared down at the large stone staircase.

The staircase to the basement.

She stood there for a while, clutching a batch of chocolates that was freshly made. They were Flandre's favorite. For a few seconds, she wanted to turn and run all the way back to the library, but she felt that she needed to thank the little mistress for saving Patchouli.

Walking down, the assistant librarian numbly registered the slash marks on the brick wall, the red stains on the steps, and the broken pieces of various things - stone, brick, wood, possibly bone - crunching under her shoes as she made her way towards the large doorway at the bottom. She let out a slow sigh to steady herself when she reached the bottom. Her body shaking, she stepped forward and reached for the doorknob.

She slipped on an especially large piece, falling to her knees. Nothing was hurt, thankfully, but-

"Yes?"

The voice came from right behind her.

_Behind me. Flandre is behind me. She wasn't in the basement. She's behind me._

Koakuma's body shook even harder. Even though Flandre was the sister of her masters' best friend, Koakuma was still afraid, especially after hearing all the stories and rumors of this vampire. Whenever Flandre came up to the Library, Koakuma made herself scarce out of fear.

Her mouth went dry, but she managed to speak. "...I...I wanted to...personally...to personally thank you..."

She could _feel_ Flandre's breath on the back of her neck. Koakuma dared not turn around.

"For what?"

Koakuma had to remind herself to start breathing again.

"Lady Patchouli. Your saving...Lady Patchouli."

There was silence. But Koakuma could still feel the breathing of Flandre. The summoned devil's body shook so hard it was tough for her to even breathe properly.

"It's just that...I never got the chance...to properly thank you. These...these chocolates are for you."

Flandre grabbed the batch, but still spoke to the assistant librarian.

"Little Devil, I didn't save Patchi. Meiling saved Patchi. You saved Patchi. Sakuya and that boy ended winter and they saved our mansion. One of the maids is allergic to pork. I just held up a ton of debris."

_"Allergic to pork"? What?_

Flandre began to chuckle, sending shivers down Koakuma's spine. Then, again, silence. But this time the breathing was gone. Mustering up the courage to finally look behind her, Koakuma found herself to be alone. She sighed in relief.

Then she heard Flandre giggling somewhere in the darkness. It reverberated up and down the staircase, echoing and drilling into her brain.

Koakuma got up and bolted all the way back to the Library, never looking back.

* * *

Flandre enjoyed the chocolates.

* * *

**Imperfect Cherry Blossom**

**Episode 12**

**["Dinner"]**

* * *

**=Summon of the Youkai's Summon=**

_**"The Cherry trees were already in full bloom.**_

_**Yet the Japanese hearts were still not satisfied.**_

_**A mysterious occurence on the crossroads to three countries."**_

**-Touhou 7, Perfect Cherry Blossom - Extra Stage**

* * *

**Three days later.**

**April 8th, 2004.**

* * *

Okay. There _are_ males in Gensokyo, in the human village. Too bad. I sort of found the feeling of being the "last man on Earth with nothing but women around" thing kind of...entertaining.

And what a village it was. It was like I stepped back in time...and not just the three or so years that the time travelers are allowed to go. _Really_ stepped back in time. A true old Japanese village...well, city. I could tell it was very big, but it was so awesome to see just a part of it. People of all races (dominantly Japanese) in kimonos, yukatas, uwangis, and the like going about their business. Everyone was speaking Japanese fluidly or with minor difficulty, despite their race.

(By the way, Reimu's attempts to get me out of there kind of failed. Well, not kind of. Completely failed. I'll get into it a little later though.)

We were in the village because Yuyuko requested a dinner at the Scarlet Devil mansion. We finished our shopping, and were making our way back to the mansion

One thing to note - the people there in the village gave me a wide berth when they saw who I was traveling with. I guess since I was with Sakuya, they knew I was associated with the famed Scarlet Devil. But it wasn't like they turned down doing business with us. It just felt a little weird that people were staring at us, and letting us pass. Out of fear or respect, I couldn't tell which. I think mostly fear.

To tell the truth, in a way it was pretty cool. I felt important. At least it wasn't like back in my high school where some of the other students would look at me weird because of my association with Suzumiya. In Gensokyo, I was associated with a _vampire._ Yeah, Haruhi could be as _scary _as one at times, but I was associated with an actual vampire.

Some people were friendly to Sakuya and I, while some weren't. After all, the Human Village was founded by youkai hunters. But still, I guess that it wasn't the case for everyone to hate youkai. Before we got to the village, we passed by a food stand that appeared to be run by a youkai - a girl with wings. Some sort of bird youkai. I didn't get a good look at her, as there were a lot of customers crowding around, but it seemed that some people tolerate youkai, even in the Human Village.

However, there was one person keeping an eye on us. A very pretty Japanese girl, a few years older than me but younger than Sakuya, was watching us with her red eyes, puffing away on a cigarette. About my height, but a slender/athletic build - she had long, ash-white hair that went down to her ankles, a white dress shirt, red pants and red suspenders. It reminded me of when Mario of the Mario Brothers picked up a fire flower, but she was a smoking hot (pun intended) female variant. I wondered why Reimu was called "Red-White" when that smoker girl seemed to embrace it. She even had red and white sneakers. Smoker girl kept her distance, but she followed us on our shopping trip.

Weird thing is, smoker girl had paper amulets and seals against fire adorned all over her pants and even tied up as ribbons in her hair (and said amulets and seals were even red and white). There was one over-sized amulet tied up in her hair like a bow. She must have really needed protection from fire. I asked Sakuya who that smoker girl was, but other than "she's one of the defenders of the human village", the maid didn't know. Smoker girl appeared when we entered the village, and followed us until we left for the mansion. Sakuya didn't seem to mind, so I didn't either.

Anyway, I was really looking forward to our dinner that night, as Yuyuko contacted us the day before, promising to have a way to get me out of Gensokyo. Everything that Patchouli (she had to instruct Koakuma what to try, as she was still bed-ridden) and Reimu attempted didn't work, as I couldn't get out of there. Reimu even opened a hole in the border itself, allowing Marisa to exit and re-enter, but for some reason, I couldn't get through.

Speaking of the miko, Marisa was right about Reimu. At her shrine (by the way, the Hakurei Shrine was amazing - a picturesque shrine, what you would imagine a proper Japanese Shrine would look like), Reimu had to be the most laid back, carefree person I could have ever met. We actually just lazed about for an hour drinking (I refrained from asking why she had a collection of alcohol) before Reimu tried getting me out. We didn't talk about anything important, besides going over a copy of a Tengu newspaper that Marisa had gotten a hold of - I think its name was the Bunbunmaru. I have to say, making Gensokyo front page news was jarring. My first time being on the front page of any newspaper. But there I was, along with the girls, with action shots of Sakuya vs Letty, Reimu vs Chen, and Marisa vs Alice. I didn't even know we were being watched. It was creepy.

Also, whoever shot it got my bad side. In the pictures where I was flying around with Marisa as she battled Alice, I appeared scared out of my mind - my face frozen in mid-scream. Whoever it was who took the pictures had to have been that crow tengu I saw at the mansion, because there were pictures of the collapse as well in the same newspaper, that had to have been taken from where the girl was standing.

Reimu was upset over being on the newspaper, as she said she is portrayed as a slacker in said newspaper, being called "unreliable". She ranted, calling the paper "a poorly written, lie-filled, cheaply made mess". But she calmed down after a few drinks.

By the way, I didn't touch the stuff. Did not want to have a bad hangover like I did on the island with the Brigade.

It was staggering, actually, the difference between a peaceful Reimu and the one that I knew during that incident, the Reimu who dealt with youkai. It was like she was two different people - Lazy Reimu and Youkai-Extermination Reimu. Thing is, when I casually tried to find out something about her, well, _anything_ about her, she shut down. I asked her where her family was, and she dropped her carefree attitude, almost getting angry at me for even asking. If you were to ask _me_, I don't think Reimu makes many friends. Maybe that's why she was so worried over Marisa when we were facing the Saigyou Ayakashi.

It was a trying week, not being able to get back, but at least things had calmed down. Spring came back full-force. Things had grown fast - leaves, flowers, and plant life, all blooming as if to catch up with the time lost. I suppose Yuka _was_ busy. The mansions repairs were coming along smoothly thanks to Nitori (the Kappa had begun to install electrical wiring throughout the house - however, I don't know how they would get power in the first place). Patchouli, while still bed-ridden, was doing well, and most of the injured staff were getting back on their feet. Marisa kept bringing Alice to the mansion to check out the library and talk to Patchouli. Everything was actually quite peaceful.

Way too many tangents already.

We were on our way back, our wicker baskets full of food, walking along a path near the lake. Various creatures were out and about. Rabbits, deer, and birds, all running (or in the birds case, flying) about, and a few fairies playing tag. I paused when I saw Cirno among them; she was laughing, having a good time. A far cry from the murderous tendencies she had a week ago. She tackled a fairy in green, laughing aloud like an idiot. A few more fairies were over the lake, using water as danmaku in a friendly water fight.

_Huh. Danmaku water fight...in other words...splash fight. _ But more magical and sophisticated. I wanted to join in as it looked fun, but I let it go, especially since I couldn't use water as danmaku. I would have lost anyways. And wouldn't it be weird for a high schooler to jump in a lake to play with fairies?

I can't believe I was in a position to even think such a thing. But I suppose if Haruhi were there in my place, she'd do it in a snap.

It sure was spring, and life had indeed returned to this once dead and dry land of make-believe. It was weird, actually. Just a week ago, the whole land was under a blanket of snow, and also under the threat of being frozen. Yet there I was, in what was a seemingly normal mid-spring day.

_I did this. I helped make it like this. I helped save this world._

I felt a sense of accomplishment looking at it all, similar to the feeling I had after Haruhi's failed attempt at remaking the world. Man, I know it happened a year prior, but thinking about that actually felt sort of nostalgic. I hurried to join Sakuya when she called back to me.

"So, tell me," I said as I caught up with the maid. "If you don't mind me asking again, how did you lose to Remilia?"

The maid gave me a rather annoyed smile when I asked her that question.

"Ah...you never stop asking that."

"Hey, you were the one who brought it up in the afterlife."

Looking back on that, it's kind of an interesting situation, you know. My life sure was interesting if I asked a question that had that in it - "in the afterlife".

Sakuya smiled.

"True. At least you have the courtesy to never ask me while I'm in front of milady."

"I'd just really like to know."

She kept walking in silence for a while before she finally told me.

"Ah, why not. It's a good chance this is your last day here anyways."

_I thought it was my last day here three days ago._

"I arrived here, in Gensokyo. I found my way to the human village, and started to hear rumors of something called the 'Scarlet Devil'. They spoke of it in hushed tones, about blood covering the lake, and I instantly thought 'vampire'. I made my way around the lake to find the mansion, and the door guard didn't put up much of a fight, surprisingly. It was strange. Meiling went easy on me there, especially since I now know how viciously she can fight."

I couldn't help but inwardly sigh. She _did_ face the Scarlet Devil right then and there.

"She didn't seem much of a threat, so I let her live."

Sakuya let out a small chuckle, and I inwardly chuckled. Now, for some reason, I have kept Meiling's "Scarlet Devil" story to myself, and I don't know why. Made me wonder why Sakuya didn't know about it. _Well, if they want to tell her, then they can tell her._

"I think I let my powers go to my head. I felt unbeatable. Well," Sakuya shrugged, "I _was_ unbeatable. I was a young teenager with a power trip. At fourteen I thought I could take on anything. I just wasn't prepared for Lady Remilia. I snuck in, explored, and found her in the throne room, just sitting there, enjoying a glass of blood. And because I was unbeatable, and throw in the fact that she looks like a child, I was quite cocky. I gave her a vampire hunter's speech, and she sat there, amused, with my 'I shall destroy your evil kind', 'you don't belong in this world' type deal."

_Has Sakuya played Castlevania?_ I didn't ask her.

"Then I fought with her, toying with my prey, because I knew I could stop time and get an easy kill."

Interesting that she called Remilia her "prey" right there.

"You know," I said, "I've seen you set up knives, but why don't you simply kill something while time is stopped?"

She flashed another smile as she brushed one of her braids out of her face.

"What, you mean like going up to someone and slashing their throat? Couldn't. My time powers back then weren't as developed as they are now. At that age, if I touched someone while time was stopped, one of two things happened. Either I brought them into my grey realm, or it broke the effect and time returned. I simply couldn't make kills in such a cheap way."

_If you could, you'd be unstoppable._

Oh, I would give anything to have her powers. Besides my own selfish...misuse of the powers...*ahem*...I'd use it to get a full night's sleep. No more dragging myself out of bed against my will. Time to get up? Screw that. Stop time and sleep for a few more hours and wake up when I'm good and ready. And I'd be able to get in a play through of a game or two. And look up answers on a test if I get stuck.

And of course...I am male...and the girls change in different rooms...every young man's fantasy, right? Thoughts of sneaking in on Mikuru as she was changing into her maid outfit flashed through my mind, and I felt guilty for thinking such thoughts. I would be really horrible if I had time-stopping powers, wouldn't I?

Okay, enough about that. Sakuya was telling me a story.

"And I couldn't against Lady Remilia. But yeah, back to what I was saying about Lady Remilia and I fighting."

"Since she's still standing..."

Can't believe I said that again, especially since I knew the outcome.

"Yeah. I guess she sensed something special about me. When I sprang my time powers on her, she was genuinely surprised, and she surprised me as well. Lady Remilia was able to survive my attacks - she heals quicker than any other vampire I've come across, and she actually retreated."

That's a bit of a shocker. Remilia doesn't really seem to be the type of person to run from a fight.

"Remilia retreated?"

The maid slowed her walk, looking up into the sky, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Mmm...wrong word to use. I suppose you could say she did a tactical retreat. She just didn't get serious...yet." Sakuya paused, chewing on her lower lip. The look on her face appeared to be as if she was about to remember a trauma she went through. "You see," the maid said almost at a whisper. "Lady Remilia led me...to the basement."

_Oh. Flandre._

I stopped, just shaking my head, feeling sorry for Sakuya. But then again, I had to respect her. To go up against _those two _and be in one piece? To take on the Scarlet sisters at the same time and _survive_? She's skilled.

"She led you to her sister?"

Sakuya shrugged. Her eyes betrayed her face. She had a mask of "it was nothing", but her eyes said "I _really_ didn't like that part of my life."

"I thought I had struck gold. Two vampire prey for the price of one. But Lady Flandre...overwhelmed me. Combined, both of them did."

If everything I heard of Flandre from the maids that past week was true, then that's an understatement. Apparently, Flandre could make three copies of herself, bringing a total of four Flandres into play. It was her "Four of a Kind" ability, and each copy was as destructive as the original. Which happened to be her ability, actually. No, not copying. Destruction was her specialty. If she applied herself to something, it could be broken, no ifs, ands, or buts.

And I heard that Flandre can vaporize people with her spear. In one hit.

Yeah, I did not want to get around to meeting her.

I'd been pretty lucky not seeing her...completely anyways. Every few hours in the mansion, I'd see one of her wings in the corner of my eye, and then I heard her running away. I didn't know if she was shy with me or what, but it worked in my favor as I had no interest in meeting the crazy sister of the Scarlet Devil. Still, it was unnerving to have Flandre watching me. My blood always ran cold when I realized that she was in the same room as me, and my body would start shaking. Even before she ran out of the room, I dared not directly look at her.

But anyway, back to Sakuya.

"They had their fun with me in that labyrinth down there. Milady stopped toying with me - that's what she was doing when we first fought - and got serious. Nothing I did affected them, so I just ran. I was near exhaustion when Lady Remilia caught up to me, pinned me down, and started to feed. Thankfully Lady Flandre was apparently full from whatever she had that day, and didn't try as well. But Lady Remilia drained quite a lot of my blood - she gorged herself on me, and I laid there, too weak to even sit up."

Sakuya stopped, turning to me. Adjusting her clothing, she showed me the two vampire fang marks on her neck. I shook my head again.

"Wow. But...it looks fresh."

_My version of the Supernatural Border heals wounds and scars. It healed mine. Wait, that means..._

It dawned on me. It _had_ to be fresh, within the past week! Since I'd been unable to have the healing border! Remilia had fed on the maid in the last seven days! I was stunned, staring at Sakuya.

"Milady still likes to feed on me from time to time," Sakuya said, giving me a weak smile. "I suppose it's her way of asserting dominance, though I don't mind anymore. And it doesn't hurt anymore either. That, and she never takes too much to make me weak."

_But for Remilia to do this..._

A wave of emotions ran over me. I stuttered as I spoke

"She...how can she...do this to you? Why do you-"

"No, it's okay." Sakuya raised her hand as if to calm me down. "You don't have to get angry. I've accepted it. Sick thing is, I find myself looking forward to the feedings."

She readjusted her clothing, and gave me another smile. I don't even know what to say about that. _Looking forward to the feedings?! I'm just gonna pretend I didn't hear that._

"Again, back to what I was saying. I thought it was over; my vampire hunting career, my life. Lady Remilia then gave me two choices."

I was still a little weirded out by what she said about the feedings, but I shook it off.

"Serve her as a vampire or as a human."

"Yes. I was still prejudiced against vampires, and given that it had to be one or the other, I chose the latter. Next thing I knew, I woke up a few days later in a bed all bandaged up, a maid outfit ready for me, and a note saying that my name from then on was 'Sakuya Izayoi'."

_Reimu was right. Sakuya isn't the maid's real name._

"And that was it - I was hers, no longer the person I once was. At first, I did think up ways of killing her, but she took care of me, made me feel useful. They gave me an education and actually helped me develop my powers of space and time."

I stopped dead in my tracks. I was unsure if I really heard that. _...no way she said that._

"Space?"

Sakuya grinned, winking.

"What, never noticed that the mansion is bigger on the inside than on the outside?"

I just stared at her, feeling stupid. I thought back to how far I had to travel inside as opposed to when I walked around outside. She was right - the inside was bigger. I had spent over a week at the Scarlet Devil Mansion, and I couldn't believe I didn't notice such a thing. Marisa was right. I can be dense sometimes.

That's...wow. Sakuya is a useful servant. No wonder Remilia kept her. The maid can do work instantly (relative to anybody else's time), and increase the size of your house. Not only that, but she's also a hell of a fighter. The Vampire really lucked out with getting her, I suppose.

_So...wait. Sakuya's existence proves Einstein's theory that space and time are correlated then?_ I let that thought go as Sakuya continued.

"I didn't even know I could do any of that until I started to work for them. Like I said, they helped me develop my abilities, and still are. Eventually I became Chief Maid there, her most trusted servant."

Sakuya paused, an index finger on her chin, as if realizing something.

"Strange how it worked out, isn't it? We fought each other to the death, and came out of it like family."

_A family where the head of the family bites people on the neck, but yeah, I guess that's a way of putting it. A family._

Yet another example, all too familiar to one I've heard before, of Remilia and her way of getting interesting people to serve under her. My mind went to another individual who essentially does the same thing, except she didn't fight people to the death, but brought them to a certain club room rather forcefully. Including me. I am grateful that Haruhi doesn't have fangs. However...I wondered, if she did, would I look forward to the feedings as well?

_Why am I thinking up stuff like that? I've been in Gensokyo too long._

Then again, she would embrace me as she placed her fangs on my neck, holding me close, her lips touching me... Being seduced by a vampire Haruhi sounded rather appealing. _She enters my room at night, pins me down on my bed, and stares me in the eyes before she begins to feed, her __body pressed against mine._

_Why __**am**__ I thinking of stuff like that?! I seriously __**have**__ been in Gensokyo for far too long. But now I think I'm starting to understand the appeal of vampires._

Sakuya stopped, staring out at the lake. She took a deep breath before closing her eyes, some sort of relieved look on her face, as we let the sounds of spring overtake our combined silence. I couldn't help but study her facial features. Sakuya really was a beautiful young woman, her delicate features accentuated by the sunlight shining down on us. Taniguchi would easily give her an "A" ranking. I myself am not one to rank girls that way, if at all, but in this case, I would have to give Sakuya an "A" ranking, too.

I remembered the way she stared at me on day one, how she was suspicious of me. And within forty-eight hours, our, I guess I could say, "friendship" had formed. But under abnormal circumstances, mind you.

I saw her be a bit of a bully with Cirno. I saw her rage. I saw her at her most composed. I saw her at her weakest, and at her strongest. I had spent that entire excursion with her, so I was able to notice more of her quirks than I did with Marisa or Reimu.

The following days had seen that friendship between Sakuya and I form even more, as I would talk to her every chance I got, though it was me who was doing the talking. She appeared to like hearing about my stories about the SOS Brigade. She always listened with such interest about everything, but I never really was able to get her to talk that much about herself.

Koakuma had stated that Sakuya hadn't really opened up to anyone, even at the mansion, and that I was the first to break her out of her "shell". Maybe I did for Sakuya what Marisa did for Flandre, even though I hadn't pried much information from her, barring what she just told me then about fighting Remilia. Speaking of Remilia, it seems that the vampire's observations were correct - people _are_ willing to tell me their secrets.

You know, I consider Asahina to be a maid goddess, but I think Sakuya is a close second. Yeah, I know that came out of nowhere, but still...I do like her.

Sakuya finally spoke, a far away look in her eyes as she opened them, her voice soft, almost whisper-like.

"I've never told anyone that. I never thought I would. That's the most I've ever talked about myself. Things sure have changed since you've arrived here."

"For the better, I hope."

I saw her lower her eyes, a hint of shame in them.

"It's a far cry from a week ago when I wanted to-"

I cut her off, because I knew what she was going to say.

"Yeah, I know. Please don't remind me."

"Why?" Sakuya turned to me, smirking. "I remind you of that Ryoko person you've talked about?"

"Yeah, mostly because of the knife-wielding. You know, part of me would like to see if Nagato can take some of you girls on in a Danmaku battle. Or Koizumi. Then again, since he already flies and shoots energy balls, I'd think he'd fit right in Gensokyo."

_And I wouldn't mind watching him get his butt whooped by Reimu. I'd easily pay a month's allowance for that._

Koizumi getting beat down by Reimu? Shut up and take my money!

"Hello, Mister."

My thoughts of violence on Koizumi dispersed when I heard that voice - the voice that belonged to the little youkai of shadows. I looked up with a start, and there she sat on a tree branch, looking down on me.

That little youkai that chased me back in January.

What did Remilia call her? Rumia? Rumia sat there, under the cover of the shade of the tree, and she also had a little bit of darkness surrounding her, like a ball, but there was enough light to see who it was. She smiled, exposing her fangs.

"Long time no see."

I know I should be ashamed of myself as a male, but I scooted behind Sakuya. I've been having nightmares about that youkai.

"Aw, Mister, you don't have to be afraid. Not right now. After all, I'm full, and I'll be full for a long while."

Her red eyes shone in the darkness surrounding her.

"Do you have any business with us, little youkai?" Sakuya said in a rather intimidating fashion as I saw her right hand draw out a knife. I also appreciated this side of Sakuya - her warrior side.

"Nope!" Rumia chirped as she continued to sit there watching us, swinging her legs back and forth like the child she appeared to be. It was unsettling to see this creature like this. I watched as Rumia's eyes fell on Sakuya's knife, but it seemed the little youkai didn't mind it. In fact, she seemed amused by it.

"What do you mean you're full?"

Why did I ask that question? Nothing good was going to come from the answer!

Rumia grinned, her fangs showing again.

"The winter, Mister. Lots of people didn't stock up on the firewood needed for that long winter. Lots of houses ran out _long_ before spring came. You came from the Human Village, right? Notice the 'For Sale' signs? Even though they started to ration out the firewood, there were still a few frozen families."

She giggled. Such a giggle made my skin crawl.

"And that's not counting the foolhardy that went into the snowstorms to gather supplies and got themselves frozen. But I didn't want a small score like that. Found myself a nice large family, and took them all back to a nice cold cave. It'll last me a while, Mister. You have _nothing_ to worry about."

_Frozen meals, Gensokyo-style. Yikes. And yeah, I am regretting asking that question._ And again, I'm ashamed of myself, but I shifted even further behind Sakuya. The maid turned her head towards me, with a "are you serious?" look on her face. I paid it no mind as I responded to the youkai.

"That's...creepy, little girl. You're something else."

"Is that so?"

And with that, she brought up a bone, and began to gnaw on it. Upon seeing that, I turned on my heels and started to walk away, hoping that wasn't a human bone. Chances are, it was. Just another reminder that Gensokyo, while beautiful, was deadly. The safest places for me were within the grounds of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, the Human Village, or the Hakurei Shrine. Everywhere else...I, as a human, was fair game to whatever was out there.

On the way back to the mansion, I stuck really close to Sakuya, a little jumpy at every sound I heard, hoping that Yuyuko had a plan to get me out of there.

* * *

It was before noon when we got back, and after giving the cooks the basket I had, I headed over to the library. Marisa and Alice were there - Patchouli was sleeping in her room (she was stable enough to be moved there), and the three of us spent the whole day in the library, them discussing notes on magic, and me placing books back. It had been my job here at the SDM for the last week. After all, there was that standing rule - you don't work, you don't eat. I didn't mind it, though as the week went on and because Marisa kept showing up, I think my workload got lighter, and a few empty spaces started to appear on the bookshelves. Koakuma would show up occasionally, to make sure things were in order, before going back to Patchouli's side.

Marisa managed to make time to speak with me over the past week. I learned more about her. Marisa, unlike Sakuya and Reimu, didn't have any natural abilities. She was a normal human who had studied the magical arts to become this powerful. She had a father in the village, but left him when he didn't consent with her wanting to become a magician. Turns out her mother was somewhat of a witch, and when she died, Marisa had the falling out with her father because she wanted to be like her mom. The hat and the broom belonged to her mother in fact.

After leaving the human village, Marisa joined up with an "evil spirit" (she didn't tell me the name) in order to acquire more power, and served as her minion. That is, until Reimu came along and put down the both of them during an incident. Marisa and Reimu became best friends after that, and Marisa then joined Reimu in the incident resolving business. This gave the witch a chance to see Gensokyo, and take meticulous notes on every spell she saw (turns out she didn't "learn" the Master Spark from Yuka - she just stole it), as well as every creature.

I managed to take a look at one of her notebooks, and was blown away by the mathematical equations she had in there for a single spell. This girl is a math genius, it seems. She also actually could fly without the broom, but she says that she loves the image of a witch, just like her mother did, and does it for looks.

I also learned what that octagon-thing was. It's a Mini-Hakkero - an Eight Trigram Reactor. For those that don't know, Tai Shang Lao Zun, one of the founders of Taoism, apparently had the original. Now, basically, a Hakkero is a mini-reactor; it can burn anything without burning out. Marisa had in her possession a miniature version, using it to shoot lasers, cast spells, or even to cook her food. Amazing that she has such a thing at all. And scary - she's essentially carrying around a portable nuclear reactor in her pocket.

Marisa is a very interesting girl. I've never met anyone like her, and I doubt I will meet anyone like her in the future either. The past few days, however, for some reason, Marisa was getting more and more quiet when she was around me. Sure, she kept her friendly over-the-topness, but it was just noticeable

Anyways way too many tangents. Way too much information. Then again, I have found Gensokyo to be very interesting, so I wanted to find out more and more about it.

The day had passed, and the dinner hour was approaching. Sakuya led us (Alice, Marisa, and myself) to the dining room, and seated us. Me two chairs to the left of Remilia's seat, Marisa two chairs to my left, and Alice directly across from me. Remilia came in not long after and sat in her large chair at the head of the table.

"Ah, Marisa, Kyon, and Alice. Nice of you to make it."

_Of course I'd make it. I work here. That, and all the European food is amazing. I think I'll miss that the most._

Marisa gave a thumbs up to Remilia.

"Well, I'm not about to turn down a free meal, ze."

Alice got up and bowed to Remilia.

"I'm honored to be invited, Miss Remilia. It's been a while since I've attended a dinner party."

Remilia simply nodded while Meiling came in.

"Miss Reimu Hakurei has arrived."

She bowed and left as Reimu walked in. I hadn't seen the miko in three days, not since we tried everything at the Hakurei Shrine's border to get me out. She took one look at Remilia and raised an eyebrow.

"I'll only say one thing. I hope you didn't make dessert strictly for your tastes."

_Come to think of it, I hope so, too._

The vampire laughed, and shook her head.

"No, my little miko. We have different desserts, though there are still some just for my tastes." Remilia's eyes narrowed and she licked her lips. "I'll make sure you avoid the ones with that delicious red filling, Hakurei...but you don't know what you're missing."

"I prefer not to know," Reimu said, rather deadpanned.

_Good, because there is a chance Remilia mixed **my** blood in that._

After greeting Alice and Marisa, Reimu approached me and gave me a hug.

"Hey, Kyon, you been doing well? They've been treating you all right?

"Well, the only complaint is that I can't get back home," I responded. "Living here is actually great."

"There are perks for those who serve under me, Miss Hakurei," said Remilia. "You might want to consider that in the future should you ever tire of being a shrine maiden."

Reimu ignored that bit as she checked my neck, which got a chuckle from the vampire.

"What, Miss Hakurei, you don't trust me? Besides, I promised myself to leave the boy alone."

"You're still a youkai, and I can't fully trust you."

As much as I liked Remilia, I had to side with Reimu there. Every morning I would do a check in the mirror, and due to what Sakuya told me earlier that day, it was a good idea. It would be bad for me to get back home and have Haruhi see vampire fang marks on my neck in class. There would be no explanations available to try to make that little thing go away.

"Noted. You'll be sitting in between Marisa and Kyon there..."

Remilia turned towards the door, trailing off.

"Milady, what is it?" asked Sakuya.

Remilia stared at the door, her eyes narrowing as Reimu took her seat. The vampire then slowly shook her head before laughing a bit and answering Sakuya.

"Ah, nothing, for now. But, Reimu, I heard from Sakuya you had more confidence in yourself than in me in getting the boy home."

"_You_ didn't get him through."

Remilia flinched at that little jab Reimu took, but the vampire quickly composed herself and took one of her own.

"Well, Patchi is kind of out of commission. And the reality of the situation is, _you yourself_ failed at it, Miss 'Hakurei Border'." Remilia grinned, obviously pleased she had this on Reimu. "What exactly happened with your end, if I may ask?"

Reimu sighed, and brought the palm of her hand to her forehead, not happy with telling Remilia of her failure.

"Even when I opened a hole in the border itself, even when allowing others to exit and reenter through it, Kyon couldn't leave Gensokyo. We tried physically pushing him, flying him through, but it's like there's a wall keeping him in."

Exactly like a closed space wall. I rolled my eyes as I remembered what happened, as I brought _my_ palm to my forehead.

"The flying thing was quite stupid, really," I said. " I was on the back of Marisa's broom, and we just tried to fly out. She got out, but I hit some sort of wall and landed on my back."

My pride was hurt more than my body though. At least it gave me a little confirmation that Gensokyo was a closed space, or similar to it, as when I impacted on the edge, it made that familiar "ripple" effect in midair - the exact same ripple I've witnessed when one presses against a "wall" of a closed space. After all that time, I have not had confirmation that Gensokyo _was_ made by Haruhi, but everything just seemed to be pointing in that direction. But again, I did not have any confirmation.

Marisa let out a chuckle.

"You should've seen how red his face got, ze! But I should be grateful that he didn't hang onto me tighter."

Raising an eyebrow, I wanted to respond to Marisa with some sort of quip, but Remilia's wink caught my eye.

"What's the matter? I thought you liked it when he held on tight."

My eyes widened. Before Marisa or I could say anything, the vampire continued.

"Oh I think I know what's going on. I've been alive for 500 years, after all. That, and Sakuya was very detailed with her report. She told me _every little detail _about the excursion, even her own opinions."

_You gossip queen, you!_ I could feel the heat rising in my face as I shot a look at the maid. She had a suppressed smile, and avoided my eye contact. I glanced at Marisa, and she, too, was blushing a bit. _Is that what this was all about?_ Remilia simply flashed an amused grin at our collective responses.

"Oh, it's so much fun to watch humans squirm with silly things like romance."

"Now wait a second, Remil-"

She cut me off, shrugging, with a mockingly "well _excuse_ me" look on her face that was just so over-the-top that it should have been on television. Her voice complimented it.

"Well, for_give_ a 500 year old girl her amusements. Geez. Besides, there isn't much to do here in Gensokyo."

I didn't have time to go into further thought about that, since what happened next pushed everything else out of my mind.

The one event that I wanted to avoid in Gensokyo, barring being killed or eaten alive, was about to happen.

A noise from behind the door. Remilia sighed as she put her hands under her chin, her face going neutral, as she spoke to whatever was out there.

"Ah, you got out of your room again, didn't you? You try being sneaky, but I can tell when you're near. I always can."

_Wait, she's not talking about...no way._

A new grin formed on Remilia's face. A knowing grin.

"...And I know you're out there, Flan."

Flan? _Flandre?!_

"If you're hungry, then join us for dinner. Though could you please not-"

In response to Remilia's invitation, the doors opened, rather forcefully, and the sister of the Scarlet Devil walked into the room, smiling. One of the doors fell off its hinges.

Flandre Scarlet. I knew it was her, as I'd seen her portrait in the library every day for the past week. She looked around the room with her wild eyes, and they settled on Marisa. Flandre beamed and appeared genuinely happy.

However, I was scared out of my mind seeing her. _Doesn't she vaporize people in one hit?_

"Marisa!"

That was Flandre. As scared as I was, I was possibly not as scared as Marisa. Her jaw dropped.

"Uh-oh."

Extending her arms, Flandre ran, jumped on the table, and pounced on Marisa. The two fell to the floor, as the impact actually shattered the chair Marisa was sitting on. Marisa let out a sound of anguish as Flandre hugged her.

"Marisa! I missed you! Why don't you come visit me more often?"

"Ah...Flandre...yeah...good to...see..._can't breathe_..."

_I think there is a reason why she doesn't visit that vampire often._

Reimu looked down at them.

"Hi, Flandre."

Flandre popped up, still smiling. I could hear Marisa gasping for air, and I felt sorry that I didn't do anything for her. Then again, what could I do? What could I do against that vampire that everyone is weary of? Lie down and die?

"Hi, Reimu! I made up some new spell cards the other day! I'd like to try them out against you!"

"Maybe some other time," Reimu said rather casually. "I've got some stuff to do tonight."

"Okay!"

_Amazing Reimu doesn't show any fear when speaking to Flandre. But I guess she has to be tough, since she's a professional youkai exterminator._

Flandre whipped around to face Alice, still grinning.

"You're new!"

_I'm so sorry, Alice._

The vampire jumped on the table, right in front of the puppeteer. Alice's eyes widened, as she appeared to not know what to make of this situation, or of this vampire.

"What's your name?"

"...Ah...Alice...Alice Margatroid."

"My name is Flandre Scarlet. Nice to meetcha. Are you interesting?"

Alice glanced at all of us, wanting a way out. When it was obvious we wouldn't, couldn't, (at least on my part) she rose a shaky hand and moved her fingers, a doll climbing on the table next to Flandre.

"Oooooh! Neat! You can move dolls! You know, I got lots of dolls, too. Thing is, they-"

Flandre grabbed...crushed the doll. Crushed into dust. Fine dust, like it was wheat put through a stone mill.

_She did that bare handed! Oh, man. "She can destroy anything." That's what Sakuya said!_

"-they break easily," Flandre sighed, "like everything else."

_Sakuya, I'm glad you had me working, and not let me be Flandre's toy._

Alice's jaw dropped as she watched the remains of the doll fall from the vampire's hand. Flandre stared at the mess.

"Awwwww. Sorry, miss. Didn't mean to do that. But do you got any more?"

"Flan..."

The two sisters looked at each other, Remilia with both hands under her chin, teeth clenched, obviously holding back at yelling at her sibling. Remilia's wings were shaking with apparent rage.

"Could you please get off the table? It's not proper."

_She broke a chair, broke a doll, and nearly broke one of your guests. You're only going to get on her about the table? Well, who am I to judge Remilia?_ But I also began to understand Remilia's reasoning in keeping Flandre locked up. It was for the good of the world. That little vampire is too powerful.

"Okay!"

Flandre did so as Alice started to pick up what she could of the doll, trying not to cry over the loss of it. Sakuya was already there sweeping off the dust. I couldn't help but feel even more sorry for Alice that we didn't do anything.

What Remilia said next put me in a new mindset.

"Flan, you'll be sitting to my left."

_Wait, wait...that makes her sitting to my right. Well, crap._

My sorrow for Alice was gone, as was most of the blood in my face, all but drained by then out of fear. Flandre jumped over the table, and landed pretty much perfectly in her seat, right next to me. Flandre turned her head and stared at me with those vampiric eyes from her chair, beaming, but not speaking. She kept smiling at me for about a minute, and nobody else said anything.

I don't know why I spoke up - I could have just sat there in silence. Maybe my attempt at some conversation. Maybe because I was completely unnerved by this. And maybe because I'm an idiot. I think I'll choose "all of the above".

"Ah...your...your Japanese is really good."

_For a European girl who spent nearly half a millenia in a basement. Also, way to go me, for being such a dork with such a conversation starter._

She ignored what I said as she spoke.

"You know, I _really_ wanted to play with you when you woke up from that big sleep you had."

_Oh, God._

"Uhm...okay..."

She still smiled at me. I was already in a cold sweat at that point. I was doing my best not to show any fear. It took a lot of willpower to just sit there, pretending to be all right.

"Do you wanna know how I got my wings?" Flandre asked.

"...S-sure."

_Please don't kill me._

Remilia shook her head, smiling, nonchalantly speaking like I didn't have an insane person sitting next to me. Which I did.

"Unlike me, when Flan became a vampire, she didn't develop wings."

_So vampires don't naturally have bat wings like Remilia?_

"But she has those...things..."

_Metal rods with prism shards._

Flandre kept that grin, beaming.

"Oh, I made them myself so I can be like sister."

"Made them?"

"Yep! And then I jammed them into my spine!"

_Certifiably insane. _My body flinched just picturing the action of jamming such things into ones spine. And she smiled when she said that. _She smiled as she said that!_

"...You...jammed...didn't that hurt?"

"Yeah. Why?"

I just blankly stared at the smiling child vampire, who asked that question as if it were nothing. Sakuya was one-hundred percent right about Flandre when we first spoke of her.

"They work! See?"

She flapped them, and she actually rose out of her chair. Then she came back down and kept smiling at me. _It seems there is a method to her madness. Either way, I have to say that this is very uncomfortable. _I gazed at one of the empty seats, wondering whether it would be worth the risk of offending the Scarlet sisters by requesting a change of seating. _You know what, I don't even want to imagine what it would be like to have both Remilia and Flandre after me. I don't need that, thank you. _Reimu turned to Marisa, who was still on the floor.

"You okay?"

"Yeah...just give me another minute, ze. And another chair."

Flandre giggled at that.

"Heehee, you're silly, Marisa."

_You're psychotic, Flan._

Meiling walked into the room after propping up the broken door. She paused for a second with a raised eyebrow as she noticed Flandre. It's as if Meiling's face said "Oh. _Her_." The guard did a micro shrug, then announced the guests.

"Introducing Lady Yuyuko Saigyouji, a Miss Youmu Konpaku, and the Prismriver sisters, Lyrica, Merlin, and Lunasa."

Meiling bowed and exited again, the ghosts coming in. We exchanged pleasantries, and Yuyuko was led to the opposite head of the table, with Youmu to her left. Marisa finally got another chair, though she held onto her sides, obviously a bit sore. The Prismrivers had their instruments, and were going to perform during dinner. Before Youmu sat down, I saw her mouth the words "I really hope you made enough" to Sakuya.

Before anyone did anything, the remaining door opened again, and in walked Patchouli along with Koakuma. Remilia immedieatly got up and hugged her friend.

"Ah! Patchi! You're up! But, shouldn't you be still be in bed?"

The Librarian smiled at her as most of us got up to greet her.

"Remi, Remi, I'm fine. The wound's healed, and I was getting tired of being in bed. Besides, this may be the last time I see the boy, and I couldn't let my temporary library assistant go without a proper goodbye."

I gave the Librarian a light, brisk hug (had to be careful - she did have surgery a few days prior, after all). I owed her a lot - I learned that when I first arrived, it was Patchouli who convinced Remilia to keep me there. And Remilia, out of respect for her best friend, granted her wish. Remilia really did care for Patchouli, which was why pretty much the entire west wing was the massive Library. It was all for the magician.

"It's good to see you well, Patchouli."

"Kyon," Patchouli smiled as she said ever-so matter-of-factly, "between the asthma, the allergies, and everything else that afflicts me, I'm usually _never_ well."

_Yep. I knew I liked her._

She paused when she saw Flandre at the table. Patchouli shot a worried glance at Remilia.

"Uhm, Remi..."

"It's all right, I think. It should be just fine."

_You "think"? And is seeing Flandre at the dinner table a rare event? Then again, seeing the fine china we're about to dine with, I think I understand why it's rare in the first place._

Youmu's gaze turned to the younger Scarlet, the half-phantom confused.

"Is...something wrong?"

_Trust me, Youmu, you don't want to know._ Though Youmu should have started to worry. Flandre was staring right at her...and she got up and went to her.

"What is that thing? Is it a marshmallow?"

Flandre was referencing to Myon, Youmu's ghost half. The vampire appeared to quickly study the ghost before turning to Remilia.

"Can I have dessert now? I wanna try the floating marshmallow!"

_Myon does look like a marshmallow with a tail, doesn't it? _ And something to note here: Myon kind of ducked behind Youmu when Flandre said that - I think it was quaking with fear. I didn't blame it. Yuyuko chuckled.

"It's a part of Youmu, my dear. It's her ghost half."

Flandre stared at Youmu with awe after Yuyuko said that.

"Half? Ghost? You half Ghost half Human? Hmmmmm, you _are_ interesting! You have a marshmallow ghost half!"

I couldn't help but bring my palm to my forehead, and neither could Remilia. She sighed.

"Flan...please sit back down."

_You know what? Let her stay standing. Because her sitting down means she's sitting down next to me!_

Now, if I was suicidal, I would have said that aloud.

But I didn't.

* * *

During dinner (Italian! Yum! It tasted good, even though there was no garlic at all. Vampire's dinner, after all.), Yuyuko informed us that the original seal on the Ayakashi had restored itself, so the tree was no longer a threat. Which was good to hear, all things considered. Even better was the fact that Flandre remained civil during dinner, which allowed me to relax a bit. Though I was still on edge throughout. I swear, I don't know how I can handle such stress. Maybe it's all the practice I had in my world.

Youmu, however, was _not_ kidding. Yuyuko asked for seconds, thirds, and fourths during every single course of the meal. _She eats so much but I guess she doesn't gain any weight. But she's a ghost, so I guess she wouldn't gain weight...but since she's a ghost, she shouldn't have to eat, right? Argh! I hate this flip-flop logic!_

All being said, it was a good dinner. We spoke of things pertaining to one another. I had the feeling most of the people in Gensokyo didn't sit down and really talk to each other much.

Then again, it was possibly with good reason. Midway, Remilia brought up the collapse of her mansion and the deaths of some of her servants to Yuyuko. The room fell silent, as the two stared at each other. I had the feeling the vampire wanted to fight the ghost right then and there, but Patchouli calmed her down. Which was great, because I was _between_ said ghost and said vampire. Yuyuko did have a bit of shame on her face, but she still kept her smile. At least she apologized.

Things got interesting when the subjects turned towards me, and Haruhi Suzumiya. I did tell Yuyuko how I thought Gensokyo related to Suzumiya, and my own theories of it, and she seemed to accept it. I then had to ask what her plan was on getting me out of Gensokyo. She said that a friend of hers would be able to help, a youkai - apparently the same youkai friend that gave me the papers.

I finished up my plate, and turned to the ghost.

"Who exactly is this friend of yours, you know, the one who helped us out and left me those papers?"

Yuyuko smiled at me after she took a sip of tea.

"Well, that actually pertains to the whole reason I called for this dinner, besides, well, the dinner. By the way, Miss Scarlet, your chef is wonderful. My compliments."

Remilia raised a teacup, with an arrogant smile.

"Of course. The tastes of Europe are the best in the world."

Yuyuko smiled in what appeared to be agreement.

"Ah, yes. Quite. But where was I...oh yes. The boy. Well, you see, my friend will be able to help you out."

She leaned forward, her face getting a bit serious.

"Tell me, young man. Before you came to Gensokyo, did you see eyes?"

Like what happens in those movies, when someone says something and you get a sequence of events flashing through a character's mind...well, it happened to me. What she said triggered the whole sequence of my dream - it shot through my mind, back to hazy realm of eyes, back to the woman in purple with the parasol, back to those words she said to me. Her lips formed out the words, the words I wasn't able to hear for some reason. _"G-o will welcome you."_ In my mind I was able to read her lips, they spelled it out.

Surprisingly, Sakuya and I said it at the same time.

_"'Gensokyo will welcome you.'"_

Sakuya and I stared at each other. She appeared to want to say something. The maid then shot a glance at her master, to which Remilia raised an eyebrow before shrugging.

"If you have something to say, Sakuya, by all means go ahead."

Sakuya swallowed hard before explaining.

"Before I came to Gensokyo, a woman with a parasol approached me, saying those words. Next thing I knew, I ended up near the village."

_Her, too?_

Remilia let out a little laugh of satisfaction.

"Ah, so I have that demon to thank for my maid as well as moving my mansion! Splendid!"

_Moving the mansion, getting people in here. That's a powerful person._ _Wait a second! A demon?! That woman was a demon?!_

_Not a bad looking demon, now that I think about it._

Thumbs up.

Yuyuko took a sip of tea, nodding at the vampire.

"So you have met my friend. Usually people who are to become important to Gensokyo do meet her. You see, she kind of takes it upon herself to gather...things. People. Youkai. Allies. Everything she does is for the good of Gensokyo."

_So you're saying that she thought I was useful to Gensokyo then?_ However, considering that I assisted in that incident, I obviously was. Yuyuko thoughtfully swirled her tea in her cup.

"And...and she tried to stop me and my plan for the revival. Yet, I got angry and banished her from my realm. I still need to apologize to her for that. My oldest friend, Yukari Yakumo."

_Yakumo. Mayohiga._ Wow. Everything gets connected in the end, doesn't it?

"Yakumo?"

"Oh, you know the name?"

Reimu put down her tea.

"We ran into a cat thing calling itself 'Chen Yakumo' in Mayohiga during our excursion that day."

"Ah, Chen. A lovely little nekomata." Yuyuko took a pause, as her brow slightly furrowed. "She called herself 'Yakumo'? Interesting. She doesn't have the surname. Yukari hasn't given it to her. Regardless, yes, Chen is something of a pet to Yukari. A servant to her servant. And she does live in Mayohiga, on top of the mountain there."

Reimu nodded a bit, looking a little annoyed.

"Okay, but how is she able to go through my border? How is she gonna do what I can't?"

Yuyuko shook her head and sighed, putting down her teacup. She smiled a tired smile at the miko.

"Oh, child, you don't know, do you?"

Yuyuko's gaze went over the people in the room. I think some of us didn't know who Yukari was.

"You haven't even heard the tales of Yukari Yakumo? The 'Sage of Gensokyo'? The Demon of Gaps and Boundaries?" Yuyuko's gaze went over everyone. When it was obvious no one was going to speak, the ghost continued. "She spread the game of Danmaku amongst all the youkai, ensuring that we would play by the rules. She was the one who slaughtered the Saigyou monastery, the one whom I couldn't kill when I was alive. She is an extremely powerful youkai, over 1,200 years old. Her specialty is the manipulation of any and all boundaries - she can go anywhere she pleases. She can create portals, rips in reality. She can manipulate every physical and meta-physical boundary. I've never seen it myself, but apparently she can even move through dimensions."

I brought my hands to my face sighing. _Oh, man. Please don't tell me she's the slider._

"Is something wrong, ze?"

It took me a while to respond to Marisa.

"I...I hope not."

_It just seems too perfect, doesn't it? If this is the slider we need...well, what does that mean? She's gonna be with us out there then? Well, that would round it out, wouldn't it? A yes-man esper, a bookworm alien android, a beautiful maid time traveler, and a demon slider? Thing is, she looks too old to be part of our high school group. At least in her thirties, now that I think about it._

Even if she wasn't the slider, Yukari sounded so powerful. Physical and metaphysical boundaries are her plaything? So she can do whatever she wants to? That's too vague - and if it is that vague, then her power is overpowered to the extent that it's just cheap! She can bend anything with a boundary - which is everything. Time. Space. Fate. Magic. Technology. Life. Death. The list could go on for such a power - it's mind boggling.

But then again, isn't it the same with the Data Entities? They can "hack" reality, right? So another character made by Haruhi with such power isn't new then. Everything is data - and data can be finite. Nagato showed that she could manipulate even Haruhi's power. This youkai, however, Yukari...wow.

Even trying to understand the scope of that power was hurting my head. Reimu continued her conversation with the ghost while I was going over all that.

"So she can just go through my border, no problem then?"

"Correct."

This time I asked a question. Because if she lives in Mayohiga, if she can bypass the border, then that meant something. Something that related to the conversation Reimu, Sakuya, and I had in Mayohiga.

"This Yukari...she wouldn't have a hand in those cooking teams, right?"

"She is the one who organizes them, young man. Youkai do need their delicacies, after all."

_Great. Just great. The person I need to seek help from is responsible for spiriting away humans to be meals for things in here. And not only that, she's a demon! I still can't get over that!_ Reimu just fell silent after hearing that, nodding a bit and crossing her arms. I could see the gears turning in her head, but I couldn't fathom what she was thinking.

Remilia laughed and brought up her wine glass.

"I'll drink to that! And, Kyon, don't worry. It's not your blood."

"Please don't bring that up. I still can't get over..."

It took me a second to grasp what she said, as I stared at the red liquid in her glass.

"Not my blood? Then who-you know what? No. Nope. No. I don't wanna know who it is you have in your wine glass!"

That was another thing she kept doing that past few days - making me uncomfortable with her blood drinking. It always got a laugh from her. I guess that's a negative of being friends with a real vampire. Besides the "cool" factor of it all, you have to deal with what they really are, and what they do to survive.

Thing is, does she have to openly act the way she does? And it's not just her. People in Gensokyo keep on messing with me. I hate it.

The vampire swirled her glass, taking a sip, before turning to her maid, a look of annoyance on her face.

"By the way, Sakuya, we need to change our cooking team provider. He charged us extra for maiden blood, when this obviously isn't."

_Whoa whoa whoa! I did __**not**__ need to know that! Way too much information for a dinner party! And, Remilia, didn't you just chastise Flandre for being "improper", when what you just said was totally improper right now! Way improper!_

I would have told her that, but...well...you know. Wow, she really can be a lot like Suzumiya.

Youmu and Reimu both spat out their tea in response to what Remilia said, and most everyone in the room was blushing. The Prismrivers stopped playing, and even Sakuya stood there, dumbstruck by what was said. Flandre tilted her head.

"...maiden?"

Patchouli slowly shook her head, looking tired.

"It's nothing, Flan."

I think Remilia said that blood-thing to mess with me some more and didn't think about this dinner party, because she obviously regretted saying that aloud. She cleared her throat and put down her glass, shifting a bit in her seat, avoiding eye contact with everyone. Marisa just laughed, then flinched when her ribs apparently hurt her. Alice stared into her teacup with this unreadable look on her face, making me wonder if she regretted being invited to this dinner party. I wouldn't blame her. There was a bit of silence for a while.

I slowly shook my head as well at this whole scene. _I'm at dinner with two ghosts...well, a ghost and a half-ghost half-human, a witch, a flying miko, two vampires, a magician, a youkai puppeteer, a time stopping maid...I could go on. This __**has**__ to be all made up by Haruhi! It's too crazy not to! Then again I'm not complaining. After all, my time in Gensokyo has been a blast. All these non-humans, or humans with special abilities make life more interesting._

Yeah. I recalled that speech Haruhi gave me. As much as I wanted to ground her in reality, I had to agree with her. Such unusual people living out their lives with their unusual abilities. I had remained mostly silent throughout that dinner, getting to know what was going on in their world. So weird. I really was thrust into a fairy tale as some sort of sidekick - a sidekick for the three girls on that day a week prior.

I had lived out a childhood dream come true. I am forever grateful to these girls.

Remilia regained her composure.

"Anyways, Sakuya! Dessert!"

The next instant, there were "strawberry" cake slices in front of Remilia and Flandre. For the rest of us, there were triple-decked triple-chocolate cake slices. _Nice!_ A twinkle appeared in Yuyuko's eyes.

"Ah, splendid. I see how useful it is to have a time-stopping maid, Miss Scarlet. Not that I'd trade my Youmu for anything."

Reimu was the first to start eating the cake, and she enjoyed a few bites, until she got a weird look on her face. She used her fork to split apart two of the layers.

There was a thin red gelatin layer in between the chocolate frosting.

The corner of my eye twitched upon seeing that. Because it then registered with me that it was the same for my cake.

_Dammit, Remilia. Worst dinner party ever._

I quickly put down my own fork, as did Marisa. I didn't know whether to spit out the bite I had or to force myself to swallow. _Wait_ _what am I thinking?_ I brought up my napkin. Alice didn't seem to mind - another perk of being a youkai? Reimu's skin paled, and she shakingly turned to Remilia, who had the biggest grin I ever saw as she twirled her fork.

"...did you actually-"

Remilia winked in response to Reimu.

"No, it's really strawberries. Then again, you don't trust me, so it's up to you if you want to continue eating."

Victorious, Remilia dug into her own cake as Sakuya smiled at Reimu.

I wished I was told about that plan beforehand. If it really was just strawberries, then I spat out some perfectly good cake!

What a way to end a perfectly good meal. Just so bizarre.

* * *

When dinner was over, I said my goodbyes to the Prismrivers, Patchouli, Koakuma, and Flandre (I got really scared when she hugged me, but thankfully she didn't squeeze), as well as a few of the maids I've talked to. Alice wanted to join us to see Yukari, so I didn't say goodbye to her just yet. Meiling was waiting outside.

"Well, kid, I guess this is it, huh?"

"Meiling...I owe you so much. I can't thank you enough for saving my life."

She scoffed at that, grinning.

"Yeah, I know. You've been at it all week."

I couldn't help but smile at that as well. She gave me a hug.

"But all jokes aside, yeah. I'll miss you. Good luck out there. I'll see you when I see you, kid."

* * *

I wrapped my arms around Marisa as we prepared to take off on her broom. Though she kind of stood there, one hand holding the broom, and the other kind of...rubbing my arm, leading to my hand...

"What is it?"

"Uhm...It's... It's just that..." Marisa looked back at me, her brow furrowed. "I dunno, it's been a few days since we've flown together, ze."

The way she said that was kind of reflective, it was definitely different from her usual boisterous tone. The two us kind of stared at each other for a while when Reimu, who was already up in the air, called out to us.

"Hey, Marisa, we going?"

The witch nodded, and up we went. We were on our way to Mayohiga again, though that wasn't on my mind._ Why was Marisa so quiet? Was Remilia right? I mean, I've never really thought of Marisa that way. Sure, she smells nice, she's warm...she's funny, a bit crazy, obviously smart, talented, is a very pretty girl, is able to take care of herself...geez. _

_When did I... _

Did I fall in love with her?

_No, this can't be. This can't happen. It wouldn't work. She has to stay here, and I have to go back. Besides, it's too cliché. Falling for someone right before you have to leave someplace? That doesn't really happen. Only in those manga and anime, all using forced drama._

_Right?_

The eight of us - Yuyuko, Youmu, Reimu, Marisa, Alice, Sakuya, Remilia, and I - were flying in the twilight sky, the sun already set but giving enough light. The array of colors was amazing, as always. I've come to appreciate what Gensokyo has to offer, and I silently took in the views of the forests, creeks, and the way the sky was painted in its array of colors, since this would probably be my last time to see it.

It started to hit me. I was almost to my goal of getting out of there.

I was going to leave this place.

* * *

We approached Mayohiga, noting that the only light was at the top of the mountain, and there was obviously a large house there as well. I swallowed hard at the prospect of _what_ was there. A youkai, no...a _demon_ so powerful that death can't take her, one that can go anywhere she chooses, and she also is the one responsible for spiriting away people from my world to this one. And the one responsible for me being there. But she killed many people, many humans, so I couldn't help but be afraid of this person, er, youkai, demon, whatever, whoever she might be.

A woman was up there, who had to be a youkai, based off of an animal. Instantly, I knew what she was. A Kitsune, a fox woman. I counted her tails, and was shocked to find that she was a Kyuubi - a nine tailed fox. She had blonde hair that matched her tails, and was wearing a cap that seemed to cover her fox ears. Other than the ears and the tails, she looked human. She wore a blue and white outfit, and bowed when she saw us approaching.

"I am Ran Yakumo, shikigami to Lady Yukari."

Ran gave an almost suppressed smile to Reimu as we all landed, blinking with her golden eyes.

"I know it was _you_ who defeated my shikigami Chen, miko," Ran said rather teasingly, "and I would challenge you to a round of Danmaku for it, but Lady Yukari has seen fit that you are to be instead served tea until she is ready to receive an audience. So please, come in, all of you."

Yuyuko moved ahead of us, nodding at the kitsune.

"Good to see you, Ran."

Ran's face went blank, her ears going flat.

"Ah, Lady Yuyuko..."

Yuyuko gave a small smile.

"Last time I saw you when I was human, you were still in your animal form...things really have changed, haven't they?"

"For the better, we can hope." Ran quickly changed the subject. "Your usual snack?"

"If you don't mind."

_After all that, Yuyuko can still eat?_

We entered, and my heart melted again when we got inside. Chen was asleep on the floor, laying there with a blanket.

"Yes, she is adorable, isn't she?" Ran said as she moved next to me. "She still has a long way to go to become a strong individual. But that's to be expected of a shikigami of a shikigami."

"She's a summoned creature of a summoned creature? How's that work?"

Ran grinned and winked at me.

"When the first summoned creature becomes exceptionally powerful, my dear boy, and I haven't regretted getting her."

She kept smiling.

"But...but I do wish she could be more serious about her duties. But ah, yes, the tea."

* * *

"I followed you, didn't I?"

We were being served decent enough tea (Yuyuko being served...were they Snickers Bars?) when Reimu spoke up out of nowhere after staring at Ran for a few minutes. Chen woke up by then and was getting her head scratched by me, purring again. I couldn't get enough of hearing her purr!

"It was you, wasn't it? You lead me to Kyon and Sakuya. I saw you at my donation box when I was ready to head out, and you took off. And you were the one who used that spell card, weren't you?"

"Yes, yes, I did. I watched over all of you that day, up until you went into the heavens. Lady Yukari deemed it necessary to lead you to each other. Of course, the witch here was already following those two. But that's not all I did. I also dropped off the pages the boy had."

_So that was her. The one who used that spell card against the army of fairies. This kitsune has been helping us._

"You were in my room?" I asked.

"Yes, thanks to my lady's abilities, we can go pretty much anywhere, and can get pretty much anything we want from the outside world."

She said that as she motioned to what Yuyuko was eating. A chime sounded. Ran reached into her pocket, bringing out a cell phone. She answered it, and nodded.

"Yes, my lady. They are all present."

All of my companions save for Sakuya stared in confusion at what Ran had. I kept forgetting that they didn't know much about the outside world's current technologies. Kind of makes you think, you know, how we take stuff like that for granted in today's world. She put the phone away and nodded at us.

"Lady Yukari is here."

_So you guys get service out here then?_

* * *

After the fairies were finished playing, Cirno flew around Gensokyo, looking for something to do. She wondered if she should freeze some more frogs for the heck of it when she saw a snowflake, just hovering in the air.

_Snowflake? It's like, too warm for that!_

It floated there, in the air, and when Cirno moved towards it, it moved as well. This kept happening - Cirno would make a move towards the snowflake, and it would move away.

_Hey! Come back here, you!_

Cirno chased after it, finding that it lead her to Youkai Mountain. She knew the things there were really strong, but she was focused on that snowflake. It led to a cave on one of the cliffs. Cirno landed at the entrance.

She stood there, feeling the cold air that poured out of the cave. It felt good to the ice fairy, a relief from the warm temperatures of spring. The snowflake hovered there, as if beckoning the fairy to follow it.

Without a second thought, Cirno went in. The further into the cave she went, the colder it got. Eventually, she found the floor to be covered in snow, and the walls encased in ice.

_Awesome! Eye never knew this place was here! _

The snowflake led to a chamber, with ice covering all the walls. And in the center of the chamber...

_Letty?_

It was the Yuki-Onna. She laid there, on the ground, her breathing shallow, eyes closed. Cirno ran to her.

"Letty! Letty! You all right? You - oh...man...Letty, what happened?"

Cirno noticed it - the left side of Letty's face had a scar, what looked to be a burn scar. And it wasn't until Cirno got close that she noticed that Letty was semi-transparent.

_She's weak right now. Even Eye know that._

Letty slowly opened her lavender eyes, and stared up at the fairy. Cirno saw that the left eye had no pigmentation - it was completely white.

_Is she blind in that eye?!_

"Ah...fairy...Cirno. You...followed the snowflake."

"Letty, you okay?"

Whiterock slowly sat up, straining to do even that.

"No. No...I'm not all right. I'm...I'm in big trouble. What I did...I've heard that there's a bounty...on my head. Human _and_ youkai."

Letty brought up her eyes to Cirno's, and looked like she was about to cry.

"You're the only...only one I can trust right now. Until every...everything clears up. I need your help."

"Anything, Letty."

Letty slowly nodded.

"Things to survive. I'll need...help to regenerate. I got a lot taken...out of me when I was under the influences of that...girl."

Letty grabbed Cirno's collar, bringing her close. The Yuki-Onna strained to get out the words, struggled.

"Cirno, if you ever...see a little girl with long, dark hair...you need to come get me. She's evil. She caused all of this, and she...she _used _the both of us! Okay? Come get me when you see her!"

Letty let go of Cirno and pointed at her scars, and shouted.

"I need to pay that bitch back for what she did to me!"

* * *

-begin-

Subject [NAME REDACTED] "KYON" is about to make contact with Entity YUKARI YAKUMO.

Projected [DATA CORRUPTED]

[DATA CORRUPTED]

-Kuyou Suou

-end-

-update-

Corruption of data found to be caused by Entity YUKARI YAKUMO's attacks on us in response to our operations in GENSOKYO.

Will find countermeasures.

-Kuyou Suou

-end-

* * *

**Yes, Yukari can be technically called a slider. Yes she is overpowered. Yes she is the "founder" of Gensokyo. In Touhou Canon, there is apparently only one person more powerful than Yukari. To the best of my knowledge, anyway.**

**For clarification, the "evil ghost" Marisa served under was Mima. She hasn't been officially seen since Touhou 5, the same incident where Alice appeared. From my knowledge, only Reimu, Marisa, Yuka, and Alice have made it from the first five games into this "new" Gensokyo. That requires a long discussion on what that means, and there are a few fan theories about that, which I will not get into here. But those four are pretty much the only ones who made the transition from PC-98 Touhou to Windows Touhou. So far anyways.**

**Out of this entire story, the character I had the **_**most**_** fun writing for was Rumia. Though Flan, Remilia, and this version of Meiling aren't far behind. And Kazami was a whole lot of fun to write as well.**

**Was that bit with Letty "sequel bait"?**

**Yes. Yes it was.**

* * *

**And now for a completely stupid joke:**

**Yukari has a Chensaw!**

**It goes RAN RAN RAAAAAANNNNNNN!**


	13. ICB Episode 13 Purpose

**Everybody hates the Chensaw pun. :(**

**But apparently it's in the Urban Dictionary. **_**Chensaw: The Act of an Asian getting an insane melee kill with a Lancer in Gears of War, especially if their name is Chen.**_

**You guys may or may not like this episode. It may feel like sequel-bait, but it wasn't my original intention to write a sequel until a few months after writing this. It was written as a stand-alone story. I'm also sorry in advance if this feels like an info-dump. This is the episode I've personally had problems with. I'm not entirely happy with it, but this is how it came out. **

**And now due to the popularity, this is going to continue.**

**5,000 views! Thank you all!**

**And speaking of thanks, I wish to express the deepest thanks to my Beta Readers. Especially the two who have stuck with me throughout the entire story. I could not have done this without them.**

**Special thanks to Serendipital and superstarultra for hanging in there when so many quit. You guys are awesome.**

_At first I wasn't sure if I would be up to the task of being Supperdude9's beta-reader. I did accept in the end, but even as I read over the first few chapters, I was worried that I wouldn't do a very good job or be unable to follow along with the story. But here we are after 13 chapters of Kyon's big adventure. While I do have some knowledge of the Touhou characters and their lore, thanks to two very good friends of mine, I'm not as much of a fanatic as them or have played any of the games. Part of me thought that I wouldn't be able to enjoy the story as much without having looked into more of the Touhou cast's background stories. But I DIDN'T get lost. Supperdude9 aimed to make a Haruhi story with Touhou elements that would be able to be read by veteran fans and newbies, and I think he really exceeded in it! I vastly enjoyed reading the story and having the honor of getting to look at each chapter before they were published. Each of the main Touhou characters really got a fair amount of time shared between them and it never felt like one was more important than the others. What really makes this a rewarding experience is that this great story finally got to be read by fans of Touhou and Haruhi fans alike. Thank you again for choosing me to be your beta, Supperdude9! I will never forget reading about the journey of Kyon, Sakuya, Reimu, and Marisa in the crazy land of Gensokyo._

-**superstarultra**

_Thank you so, so much for letting me work on this. It really was a pleasure, and to see your passion shining through this fanfiction...well, it put some passion into me too. Your story has served its purpose. I guarantee that others will feel the same way. And as for my purpose...I can only hope I've helped a little bit. Be it a rule, a suggestion, or just a comment, I hope you took something away from my beta-reading. And if not-hey. Maybe I can improve. _

_If you'll have me, I'd very much like to work on the next installment of this series. And...you wanted a note to put at the end of the story, right? It's basically the above...my thoughts on working on this series._

_This story was amazing to work on. Passion shone through every word, and some of that passion seeped into me, too. I can proudly say that I'm enchanted with the music in these games, and have started to play the games themselves. So, thank you so much for letting me work on this, Supperdude! It was an absolute pleasure. I hope I helped, even if just a little bit. To the readers, I just hope you've enjoyed this story as much as I have. _

**-Serendipital**

**Beta Read by:**

**Serendipital**

**superstarultra**

**The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is owned by Nagaru Tanigawa. Touhou Project is owned by ZUN and Team Shanghai Alice. I own neither. This is a fan fiction of those works.**

* * *

We walked outside, where the twilight sky acted as a backdrop to a woman standing there. She stood at the top of the staircase, in a pink and purple dress. Her long flowing blonde hair moving about a bit in the little wind that was blowing up here. She continued looking out onto Gensokyo, humming a little tune as she twirled a pink-laced parasol. My heart started to pound. _This is it, isn't it? That's her. That has to be her. That demon woman._

Ran spoke. Not serious. Not entirely casual.

"Lady Yukari."

The tune stopped. The woman continued to look down, not saying anything for a minute. The silence was very unnerving, and in my opinion, overly dramatic.

"'If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed; if in terms of ten years, plant trees; if in terms of a hundred years, teach the people.'"

_Her voice. _ I heard it before. Even though I thought it was a dream, it still stuck with me. _Also, was that Confucius she just quoted?_

The woman spoke again.

"It has been a while since I've spoken to a human, really spoken to a human, saying something other than 'Gensokyo will welcome you.'"

She turned around, letting us see her. The tension had built up in my chest.

It _was_ her. The woman from what I thought was a dream right before I came to Gensokyo. The youkai Demon of Gaps and Boundaries. The so-called "Sage of Gensokyo".

"For those of you who haven't properly met me, I am Yukari Yakumo."

Yukari smiled as she gazed at all of us with her youkai-like purple eyes. She greeted me, calling me by my real name. _Thank you_. Someone actually knows my name!

"Yes, you'd like the theories and answers now, wouldn't you?"

Reimu took a few steps forward, bringing out an amulet. _Is she nuts?_

* * *

**Imperfect Cherry Blossom Season Finale**

**Episode 13**

**["Purpose"]**

* * *

**=The Border between Youkai and Human=**

**"**_**Phantasmagoria.**_

_**She was also living on the border of Gensokyo.**_

_**A mysterious occurence on the border of three countries."**_

**- Touhou 7, Perfect Cherry Blossom - Phantasm Stage**

* * *

I swallowed hard. Reimu was already in some sort of attack position with her amulets.

"Reimu, what are you doing?"

I saw her body tense, as if she was about to attack right then and there.

"She's behind the cooking teams, behind all the human deaths. I can't just-"

I was quick to interrupt her.

"Easy, Reimu. She was the one who helped us, giving me the notes on the Ayakashi. And you yourself said that you followed Ran, so the Yakumos have been helping us."

_Dammit, why now? Why this Reimu? Why not the laid back Reimu I knew from a few days ago? At least hold off until that demon can get me out of here!_

Although Reimu had a good point. This was a demon who spirits away humans to be food. So why _was_ I defending the youkai? At that point, I think I just wanted to get home, so I didn't really put much thought into it. Even now though, I still don't want to. Too touchy of a subject.

_Wow_ I'm self-serving if I'm willing to overlook the deaths of unwanted humans just so I can get back home, aren't I?

"Reimu, please. Don't do this."

Reimu glared at the demon for a good minute before she put back her weapons. Yukari's smile was unchanging. Remilia stepped forward.

"Okay, Miss Yukari. You apparently have all the answers," said Remilia as she brushed her bangs out of her eyes. "So, I need to know one thing. What exactly is the boy's 'blessing'?"

The demon sighed, as it seemed she would have to do a lot of explaining. I knew I was in for a long one. So bear with it, as I did.

"That, my little vampire, was a bit of an unknown factor, actually. You all know about Haruhi, correct? The girl who can cause rifts in time, create closed spaces, and created an explosion of data." Yukari got various nods in response. "There is a theory I have that explains why he reacted to the barrier the way he did. You see, there's no secret. The girl likes Kyon."

Marisa playfully elbowed me in the ribs over that, but I paid it no mind.

"And part of her likes him the way he is, just a normal boy who has some interest in her, and is there for her, essentially. However, the mind can be a fickle thing, especially when bored. It can create all sorts of thoughts, all sorts of 'what ifs'."

_And all sorts of problems for me._

Yukari stepped towards us, locking eyes with mine.

"A part of her wants you to be more, wants you to be special, wants you to be grand. That created a little spark within you. And since you're in here, a product of hers, it blossomed, becoming enhanced with the mere act of being in Gensokyo, causing that 'taste' Remilia experienced." Yukari blinked her mesmeric purple eyes a few times, her eyes going thoughtful. "I wish I had more than that, but that is the best explanation I can offer. Haruhi is okay with you the way you are, but that part of her gave you an edge in here, and made the blossoms react to you in such a way. It appears to be a double-edged sword though, holding you in here as well, when the miko and the lesser devil attempted to get you out. That, I cannot explain, but I myself should be able to simply bypass it with my abilities."

_Really? She wants me to be more than I am? Well, can I blame her, when even I recognize that I can be a useless loser at times? And I guess I should be grateful that the spice of my blood got Remilia to stop feeding on me. Another addition to the small list of things that actually make me grateful to know Haruhi._

The demon's eyes met with Yuyuko's. Yuyuko slowly floated towards Yukari, and she paused when they were close to each other. I realized what was going on. Human Yuyuko was about to reconnect with Yukari for the first time in a thousand years.

"I always wondered," said Yuyuko. "Out of nowhere, you showed up, and you...it was like you knew me. It was so confusing. You were able to become fast friends with me because you knew what I liked, my interests. We clicked too perfectly, and it always made me uncomfortable. But you proved to be a good friend in my current form, just like when I was human. I always wondered...I always wondered why you cried the first time we 'met'. But now that I can remember, I can't help but ask. Why didn't you ever tell me?"

I could hear the sadness in Yuyuko's voice. Yukari gave her ghost friend a little smile as she brought up her hand to run it through Yuyuko's hair.

"I did not know if you were ready to remember, old friend. Remembering those ugly men with their ugly hearts, your treatment, all of that. And the pain you had to go through, that I put you through when I tried to stop you."

"I don't know what else to say. I'm sorry for that, for making you cry back then."

"No, it's all right. It had to be done. I was selfish, really."

"No, Yukari, _I_ was selfish. I didn't want to think too much about how it would have affected you, it-"

Yukari put her hand on Yuyuko's shoulder. It was obvious that Yukari was holding back tears.

"Like I said, it had to be done. You had to seal that tree. You don't have to apologize for anything. You never had to."

"But-"

Yukari embraced her ghostly friend. I heard Yuyuko sniffle. These two were friends, making a thousand-year reconnection. Human Yuyuko's memories are now in Ghost Yuyuko after a thousand years...I think.

Thinking about that, it's kind of complicated. Yuyuko has two memories of Yukari - as a Ghost, and as a Human...and they melded? Ugh. My head hurts even now when thinking about it. Can't even begin to think how it's affecting Yuyuko herself, the clash of two memories, essentially two people, coming into one mind. The ghost sniffled again.

"...I took spring away from Gensokyo just so I could get my memories back. All for my own selfish reasons."

"I want to know, old friend. Was it worth it?"

Yuyuko lowered her head a bit.

"Besides remembering you...no. No, not really."

"Thankfully, you should forget in time." Yukari smiled a forced smile. "You always forget things anyways."

"Yes...yes, you're right. I hope."

Yuyuko let out a little sob as Yukari embraced her tighter.

"Oh, don't cry."

"I...hurt a lot of people for my own selfish reasons. What did I become? _This stupid ghost?_ I never wanted to kill, I always hated my ability to kill when I was alive, and I hurt so many people! It was the very thing I was fighting against!"

"It wasn't your fault."

_It wasn't really her fault, was it? She just didn't have her memories. If she did, this whole mess could have been avoided._

Youmu stepped forward, eyes steeled.

"It was that Letty Whiterock!"

Yukari shook her head.

"No. It wasn't."

"What do you mean? I clearly saw her manipulate Lady Yuyuko!"

Yukari patted Yuyuko's head. They then let each other go, and Yuyuko floated back, a bit satisfied from her little cry. Yukari looked directly at me.

"It has to do with the boy, and his creator friend."

"What? _Me_?"

Yukari gave me a single nod.

"You see, there is a war going on out there. A war bigger than you can imagine. It caught my attention because one of the combatants of that war came into Gensokyo to alter events. What's happening right now was actually supposed to happen. Whiterock did initially convince Yuyuko to do what she did, yes, but Whiterock was altered, became a tool for destroying Gensokyo. She is no longer a threat though, as they have lost their control over her."

_Great. Now I feel bad for watching her burn in front of me a week ago. She wasn't evil like I made her out to be._

"What are you saying?" I asked.

"I am saying that this world, our world, is indeed a creation of Haruhi, where all the paranormal entities flock to - fairies, youkai, ghosts, phantoms, vampires, and the more to come, are just results of her creation, her wishes."

Finally.

Someone had directly said it.

Gensokyo is a product of Haruhi Suzumiya.

I felt like some weight was lifted off of my shoulders. It was always a what-if for me, but right then and there, hearing it...was different. Gensokyo really is all because of Haruhi, according to another person. According to this demon, this sage. She began pacing during her explanation, twirling her parasol.

"I would like to say that it is a simple theory, but the evidence of the attack and interference on our events prove otherwise. There are those who seek to destroy the machinations of Kyon's friend, just because they _are_ machinations of hers. That is the basis of what I believe here. That, and two other things. I've witnessed the 'birth' of the creator, and the Data Society along with the esper Organization officially recognizes Gensokyo as a product of Haruhi. It's their belief that during the data explosion, history was altered, giving all of us life, existence, and giving us our stories."

_You gotta be kidding me. They knew?_ I wanted to ask, but she continued.

"The events that happened here were supposed to happen, but not this way. Not like this. More people died than they normally would have. Yuyuko would not have gone to her extremes, and would have accepted a normal Danmaku battle. Nor would she have regained her memories. This incident was supposed to happen last month, on the twenty-first. The interference pushed the date back, to the farthest it could go, causing the winter to build even more; back to the second of this month, seven days ago, the latest it could happen."

Marisa shifted a bit, before tilting her head.

"So in a way, we were behind schedule then, ze?"

"Yes. The things that happened here are due to said interference in our events." Yukari turned to the sunset. "But it was also dumb luck that things worked out like this. Whiterock was instructed to find someone for the cherry blossoms to attract to, to make sure that nobody could have found out about Hakugyokurou, nobody would have the spring necessary to bring the Ayakashi back to life, that an eternal winter would kill off Gensokyo. I couldn't interfere with Yuyuko's plans, not directly, out of respect for her, and the fact that she was altered to the point where she would have flat-out killed me if I did interfere."

Yuyuko had a slight ashamed look on her face. Yukari continued.

"But as long as that person stayed out of Gensokyo, nobody could track them."

Yukari turned and locked eyes with mine.

"Kyon, you were chosen completely at random by Whiterock." A smile crept on Yukari's face. "To tell the truth, Whiterock saved Gensokyo, in a way, by choosing you. I still can't get over it."

In my experience, there was no such thing as dumb luck...well, there was, but I never called it that. I just simply called it "Haruhi".

"But how did I get here?"

"I brought you here, my boy. Remember the first of this year? When you were in my realm?" Yukari winked. "Where you checked out my body?"

_Ah, hell. _I clenched my jaw, trying not to blush. Yukari just grinned.

"Oh, it's perfectly fine. You are a healthy boy after all."

_And a weirdo, too, what with most of the thoughts I've been having lately. Then again, surrounded by pretty girls...Can you really blame a guy in my position? Marisa, Meiling, Yukari here... Very interesting place, Gensokyo, to say the least._

"So, why did you bring me here in the first place?"

"Just a whim, my boy. I wondered what was done to you, and didn't learn until after the fact what happened. I just saw that you were touched by Gensokyo. In fact, those who do get touched by Gensokyo I generally bring in. It worked out in the end, right?"

Well, to tell the truth, I didn't know what I was expecting to hear when I'd ask the question of "why was I brought into Gensokyo?", but that was possibly one of the last things I expected. A mere whim, just because I got involved.

Just like how I got involved with Haruhi.

Alice let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"So...barring his perversions-"

_Ah, come on, Alice!_

"-what does this mean then? Are more enemies of this Haruhi going to come into Gensokyo and cause more incidents? Are they going to interfere even more?"

Ran had given Yukari a teacup, which the demon finished before answering Alice. I guess she got thirsty, as the demon had been speaking alot.

"That, my little puppeteer, I don't know for sure. The events of the future are...difficult to discern right now." Yukari stepped up to Remilia. "What I do know is that the supposed 'intruder', Miss Scarlet, that your servant said she saw, was possibly one of them."

A flash of anger washed over Remilia's face. She pursed her lips, and closed her eyes, seemingly doing her best to keep calm.

"...So...brought down my mansion, did they?"

"I'm afraid so, Miss Scarlet."

Remilia shook, her fists clenching.

"...Okay...well, they just made the worst enemy they could ever make. So, what does this mean then?"

"I don't know. Every time I've checked out the future of the boy and his friends, it changes from a few possible outcomes. There is a major split coming up in this boy's life."

_Checked the future? No way, she couldn't...unless-_ My mouth was a bit dry from this, but I managed to speak.

"How do you know this? Don't tell me...you can travel through time?"

"Yes, Kyon, because I acquired a time travelling device from older Asahina herself one month ago."

_Older Asahina? She did that?_

"I know all about you, more so than that Whiterock. With the device, I was able to go back and watch the events of your life from the start of your odyssey, four years ago. I watched as the Organization formed, as time travelers came to visit the past, and as the data entities sent their Human Interfaces to study their subject - I've even witnessed the birth of your friend Nagato," she said that as she stared up at the sky, as if she was remembering something amazing. "I was also able to go back to the point where no time travelers could go back, and witnessed the 'birth' of the child known as Haruhi Suzumiya, and the birth of her power. I saw the power emanating from her. Truly remarkable - it felt like I was there for the birth of the universe. Just plain amazing."

Yukari had another cup of tea before she kept going.

"And I've watched your exploits. You, the one chosen by the girl. You, the one who helped keep reality the way it is. You, the one who helped her, one who was feeling lost, helped her feel that she was a part of something. Everyone wrote her off as a weirdo, an anomaly. You took notice, let her be validated for anything other than an object, whether for sex or for her physical or mental capabilities. You gave her a meaning with the club. And I know the rest of you have no idea what I'm talking about, but the boy knows what I'm saying is true."

The demon took steps towards me, a small smile on her face.

"_You welcomed her_."

The way she said that struck a chord with me. I don't know why.

"All I did...was notice her hairstyles. All I did was talk to her. I just talked to her."

That was it. I got involved with Haruhi. Just randomly got me involved with her, because of my whim to strike up a conversation with her. And I was thrust into a world of the paranormal, where the world wasn't as I had thought it to be.

Yukari nodded.

"That's all it took. Without you, she would never have become friends with Nagato, Koizumi, Asahina or even Tsuruya. Not to mention everyone else who has become touched by her abilities."

_There's still another thing I don't get here._

"How can you watch everything?"

"I create little rips in reality."

She waved her hand, and this "rip" appeared, like someone took a straight razor to a curtain and just cut down. The two ends of the rip were...huh. They were tied with red bows. I didn't know what to think about that, and I still don't. Anyways, the rip. It opened up in the middle a bit, revealing a purple world. Well, the purple world, with eyes. The eyes stared intently at me. Yukari continued.

"Those eyes are my eyes. I can see everything, my boy. Your friend's superiors don't give my rips much thought, since they just write them off as mere by-products of Suzumiya. Which, technically, they are. I have already accepted that I was created by a human's ideas."

_You're taking it pretty well, it seems._

"After all, we youkai are born out of the fears of mankind. So why not a little girl? And the proof is right in front of me, that I am just the product of an imagination. Though I do not know if I am to be your slider companion that Haruhi wants, it is eerily convenient, isn't it?"

_It's a little bit more than eerie. What's even more eerie is that she's been playing voyeur with my life! No, not eerie. Creepy._

"You've been watching me..."

Still can't get over that!

"Yes. I've seen everything you've experienced. It's made for an interesting time, my boy. Normally I sleep a lot, but your adventures and excursions make for interesting and captivating shows, I must say. You are truly special, because you are...truly normal."

Yeah, I get it, nothing special about me. Jeez, it's like the foundation of the Brigade all over again, when the other members first spoke to me about Haruhi! At least with them, I was sitting down, having tea with Koizumi and Nagato, or looking at a pretty girl with Asahina.

However, I noticed a slight hesitation in her voice. Yukari then had a serious look on her face.

"However, the major split will be coming up fairly soon, Kyon. It's up to you. Either you'll lead everyone to a happy ending...or..."

She closed her eyes again.

"I hope you can continue to make the right decisions in the future, for everyone's sakes, and that you don't betray them."

A pang of anger rose through me.

"I would never betray-"

She pointed a finger at me, her eyes going "youkai".

"You're _human_," Yukari said, almost with disdain. "After all, didn't St. Peter say the same thing you're saying? Humans can be broken, can be swayed, can be changed."

I gritted my teeth, not wanting to get into a shouting match with her. I mean, how dare she say that I would betray them! Asahina, Koizumi, Nagato. Before I could give it much thought, she continued, her eyes going back to normal.

"It's just that there are certain events that can make people do...unusual things, things that they promised themselves that they would never do."

Managing to keep calm, I spoke up, a slight edge in my voice.

"Okay then, what's going to happen?"

"It's all about trust, boy. Your friends can't truly trust you. They still don't truly trust each other, even after all this time, and that may or may not lead to everyone's downfall. They _were_ trying to gain a bit of hold with you. Nagato said it herself - could you really trust her? Sure, she saves your life constantly, but can you really trust her? Or Koizumi? Or Asahina?"

Yukari closed her eyes and let out a sigh.

"In fact, tell you what, you ask Nagato if there is an afterlife one of these days. See if she'll give you a straight answer even though you already know for sure. Then you will know where her loyalties lie."

_...That's...that's an interesting point. Would Nagato tell me if the afterlife exists?_

Would she? I mean, she would, right? Nagato would tell me such a thing. Right?

Despite my musings, Yukari kept talking. Man, she's long-winded.

"But that's not just the case now, is it? Because you know you cannot trust their superiors, the ones who make the decisions for them. You are blackmailing Nagato's superiors, the Organization is actually trying to win your favor so they can in turn control Haruhi through you, and can you really trust the Time Travelers when they willingly put Asahina into harm's way?"

_True. I don't really approve of them doing that._

"But there is one thing I do know, and it's that _I _cannot trust any of them. I've taken great pains to keep Gensokyo hidden from them since I found out about them, because humanity will always be humanity. They might try to exploit us."

Yukari sagged her shoulders, closing her eyes.

"Yet, I've failed. They've known longer than I thought, which is why I was surprised when I was approached by adult Asahina when I was out there and handed the device to see things for myself. She also told me to bring you back home. All three of the major players out there knew you were here. Your low-level friends, however, do not know. They are kept in the dark by their superiors. They are simply grunts after all."

I just stared at her, stunned. I wanted to forget that she said that. That they knew.

_Ah, man. They knew._

I was left in there. Yeah, sure, I liked my time in Gensokyo, but they left me in there!

"The Organization, the Integrated Data Society, the Time Travelers, they knew you were here, and other than adult Asahina, they did nothing. They never told Koizumi, Nagato, or Asahina respectively. They did discuss what should be done, but they ultimately decided to sit on their hands, which made no sense, due to the chaos going on out there right now. Too many closed spaces, too many unusual changes caused by the girl. The Data Society predicts she'll become self-aware within the next twenty hours and have prepared for it, with Nagato's deletion scheduled in twenty-four hours."

"NO!" I shouted out. Everyone's eyes were on me, and I was shaking with rage. _How dare they! How dare they go behind my back and actually think about deleting Nagato again!_

Yukari kept at it, revealing things that just made me angrier and angrier.

"A power shift that happened within the Organization when you disappeared wants it to happen as well. The time travelers have withdrawn from your time, with only young Asahina remaining. Your three friends do not know what's about to occur, which is why we will need to go back, and I'll have you deal with the ones who caused this in the first place. I know for sure that one group just tried to destroy us."

_They left me in there to die...to allow the world to change...even though I just kept it normal not __too long ago when Nagato remade reality. They just sat on their hands? They could have gotten me out, but...but if they did, then where would Gensokyo be? _ I stared at this youkai, this demon.

I was, however, _really_ mad at the Data Society for even thinking of deleting Nagato again.

"So, who were they, who were the ones who tried to destroy you?"

"The same ones that attacked your friend,Nagato right before you came here. That snow mansion was their product, their construction."

_So something was up in that snow mansion! Koizumi was right! Someone did try to do something to Nagato!_

"Who are they?"

"Time will show you, my boy. For me to tell you the future is indeed disastrous."

I hate this time traveling "Classified Information" stuff! But I've also seen enough movies to know such things can be troublesome if not taken seriously.

"My just seeing it is risky. But everything will be all right. I will get you out of this fantasy and into your world, making what I said will happen, what has happened, moot. When we get you back to when I took you into Gensokyo, all that will change. Nagato will no longer be under threat of deletion."

Yukari turned to the rest of her audience.

"As for the rest of you, you may have your doubts about everything I have said. But after I take the boy home, I will show you the proof. I will show you everything. Trust me. You are all created by Haruhi Suzumiya. I can prove it."

"Bullshit..."

That, that came from the shrine maiden. Reimu was standing there, shaking. Her hands were balled up into fists, and she was staring at the ground. I wasn't expecting her to curse out of nowhere.

"I...how can all this not be real?"

_Ah, man. It's hitting her. _

To live your life, to live for years, and to be told one day that you are a construct of someone's imagination, someone's beliefs...that would be heartbreaking, wouldn't it? I couldn't even comprehend what Reimu must have felt at that point.

Yukari let out a sigh.

"It is real. It's made up, but real. We are the creations of a little girl. Gensokyo is a product of hers, no doubt about it. I do have a task to do, and that is to protect and maintain Gensokyo."

"Hey," Reimu shouted, "youkai! That's _my_ job! _And what's with the damn 'part of someone's imagination' crap? _I...I mean, I can accept..."

Reimu looked down, and then at me.

"...How...am I just...made up? I have memories of what happened before!"

"You don't want to believe it," said Yukari, "do you, human?

"I..."

Reimu lowered her head and closed her eyes. The youkai took some more steps toward the miko.

"Reimu, she's the reason why you're so strong. If I had to guess, you are a small part of her, trying to keep everything in place, all for her. Everything that's a part of the fantasy in her head, every little thing, comes here. And of course, we take on our own personalities, our own lives. Of course we aren't going to get along."

Yukari tilted her head and grinned at me.

"Young man, remember when Koizumi spoke of the chaos that would follow should everyone be turned into an Esper? Where physics would...oh, should I say it this way...where physics would go 'bye-bye'?" Yukari tilted her head the other way, an amused look in her eyes. "Think of Gensokyo to be that scenario in a way. It's already happened, the impossible is possible - a closed space for us supernatural beings, free from her common sense that is the outside world." She turned her head to Gensokyo, a sort of longing look in her eyes as she stared out there. Her tone was a bit somber. "But, I'm trying to pull everything into here to keep it all contained. That's another one of my purposes, it seems. I think...I think Haruhi has a side of her that you don't see. She also takes pity on things or people that are thrown away. That is another purpose of Gensokyo, to accept such things."

Reimu shook her head, her eyes closed.

"...And you spirit some of them away to be meals for you things. I doubt this Haruhi would appreciate knowing that some of the people that are thrown away from her world are eaten."

_I don't think so either._ Because that would be quite cruel of Haruhi. Well beyond cruel. The youkai chuckled, her eyes going inhuman.

"Heheh. Well, I _am_ the one who does some of the spiriting away, and I do believe it's my choice as to what happens to them. I do spirit people into here, as well as some objects, but sometimes Gensokyo does it automatically. Very curious world we live in...as for the law of this place, as much law as it can get, that's where you come in, my dear little shrine maiden. Because there needs to be rules. Rules are what keep Haruhi grounded out there. We need them in here as well."

"So what then? What am I supposed to do? I'm just a made up character...I'm not real..."

"Yes, you are. You were given form, thought up, made real, just like the people Kyon has for friends. What's more, like them, you have a purpose."

"...Purpose..."

"While I do protect Gensokyo from the youkai end, you protect it from the human end. We are the Yin and the Yang. Light, and darkness." Yukari smiled devishly, as if she had an idea. "Though...perhaps we can determine who is the better protector."

Yukari brought up her fan, and a spell card.

"Perhaps...we can play a little game?"

"...Purpose..."

"Yes, a purpose to protect this magical land from itself."

"..."

"What do you say, human?"

"..."

Reimu still did not respond. The silence went on for a while, as everyone was waiting for Reimu to say something.

I don't know why I spoke up, but I did.

"Reimu...I've been told this, all of this." I stepped up to her, putting my hand on her shoulder. Slowly, she lifted her head up to go eye to eye. It looked like the miko wanted to cry, wanted to be angry, all of those various emotions. "All those theories. And I myself don't know what to make of it. I'll never personally know if the world was created a mere four years ago, or if it's just a time disruption or whatever. I don't know who created what, or what created whom, and I'm not going to pretend that I do. I mean, look at me." I gave her a small smile. "I gave up on believing all the fantasy stuff, of magic, of aliens, time travelers, espers, demons, and everything. And look where I am right now. It's been a wild ride for me, Reimu, and I'm just going along with what's in front of me, and dealing with these things as they come along."

"The normal boy has dealt with the challenges in front of him. How will you, an extraordinary girl," asked Yukari, "deal with the challenge in front of you? How will you deal with me?"

Reimu didn't turn to Yukari - she kept looking at me, silent. Her eyes searched mine, I guess for an answer. She blinked once, twice, and then nodded at me.

"Okay," she whispered. "Fine."

Reimu took a deep breath before taking out a spell card, finally turning to the demon.

"I guess...I'll have to go along with it. It's out of my hands, I suppose. I'm living in this world, a world created by something. Why not? I believe in the Gods, in creators."

"Too bad you can't remember the names of any of them, ze!"

A smile formed on Reimu's face at Marisa's quip, and I had to hold back my laughter.

"Yeah...yeah, Marisa. That, too. So I'm just a creation. Okay. I've had fun, I've been performing my purpose. I can keep doing it."

Reimu floated up into the air, her face getting serious, that same steeled look in her eyes returning that I saw many times during our excursion to find spring.

Youkai-extermination Reimu was here.

"Basically, youkai, what I'm saying is that I accept this challenge! If _I'm_ the chosen one to protect _this_ world, _then I AM the chosen one!_"

Yukari floated up into the air as well, a huge grin on her face.

"Fufufu. That's good to hear. And don't worry, I haven't used the time traveling device to scout what you're going to do tonight. I wanted to keep things interesting, Miss Hakurei! Now! Let's duel!"

As they floated up well above Mayohiga, I turned to my companions, still in a daze over the whole speech that just happened. It all made sense, didn't it? Why just stop at time travelers, espers, and aliens? Everyone's heard of fairies, vampires, ghosts and the like, right? What was keeping Haruhi from creating those entities? Gensokyo being her product, made sense, and if the youkai is to be believed, there is hard evidence to prove it. Koizumi was right - this is the world envisioned by Haruhi. This is her chaos. In a way, I'm trying to avoid this world...yet I find it so fascinating.

I finally looked up at everyone, and they were all silent. They were silent through the whole speech. Sakuya had her eyes to the floor, Marisa shaking her head, Alice just thoughtfully staring into the sky. Remilia...she had this unsure look on her face, but her eyes still had a lot of rage in them. _Feel sorry for whoever pissed off Remilia. Poor bastards_. I couldn't see the ghosts' faces from where I was though, so their reactions weren't notable. Ran and Chen looked like they already knew all this, and I suppose they would. They serve Yukari anyways.

I turned back to Yukari and Reimu. They floated there, above the red gate, I guess going over the rules of what was about to happen, but it looked like Reimu was feeling better about finding out she was a product of somebody's imagination. She had to be quite strong, actually. Because that's a big thing, no matter how you look at it. On the trail of that thought, what about Koizumi? How did he deal with the knowledge that his existence was made on a mere whim? And that applied to Nagato and Asahina as well. How do they deal with that? I had to respect them a little more, because I don't know if I could take it myself - knowing that I was just a figment if I were in their shoes.

And wouldn't you know it, someone else took that well, too.

Marisa moved forward and plopped down on a bench, me following suit.

"Kyon...I don't really know what to say. Except...well, I dunno." She chewed on her lower lip, rubbing her left arm. "I'm actually not surprised. I'm actually okay with being a figment of someone's imagination if that's the case, if I'm your friend's idea of a witch."

Marisa leaned back and stared up at the twilight sky. "And I'm living, enjoying my life. I get to go on adventures, hunt treasure, solve incidents like what just happened, and stare death in the face. I can't really have any complaints here, ze." She paused, and twirled her hair with her finger. She pursed her lips, and a small smirk crept on her face. "In actuality, I should thank her. And, in turn, _thank you_ for keeping everything the way it is."

She kissed me. I was not ready for that.

Not that I minded. Even though I started to blush and stammer like an idiot.

"What...What was that...that for?"

Why was I reduced to this mess? Well, it _was_ Marisa. A very, _very_ pretty girl.

Thumbs up again.

Marisa gave me another smile as she stared at me with her golden eyes. "Like I said, I thanked you."

She kissed me again.

"And _that_?" I managed to say without stammering.

Marisa shrugged, grinning. I wondered if my red face matched her blushing.

"Just thanking you again."

She tasted like berries, honey, and mushrooms. A very wild taste. It was actually delicious. We stared into each other's eyes for a while. I felt like I wanted more, the warm feeling of her soft lips, the taste of her kiss. She grabbed my hand - I didn't mind it at all.

"I told you I'd hold you to it, ze."

Smiling, I shyly looked away, to see Remilia sitting down next to me, giving me a wink. She appeared to have calmed down.

"How sweet. How about I make it so that you two are destined to be with each other?"

I raised an eyebrow at the vampire, not answering. _Remilia, that wouldn't be any of your business!_

"Well," Remilia grinned, "after all, I can control fate unconsciously."

Inwardly I shook my head. Yet another connection to Haruhi. Before I could say anything about it, she let out a giggle.

"I know, I know. Like your friend." Remilia then motioned to Yukari and Reimu. "Now hush. I want to watch this. Let's see if that demon can actually bring down that miko, if someone can finally bring her down."

* * *

Reimu and Yukari circled each other in the air for the next few minutes, talking - I heard them.

"Yuyuko says you are in charge of the cooking teams."

"I am."

"How many people? How many lives?"

"I find something for them, one way or another. Every person I spirit away into here serves a purpose. The boy, the maid, various humans. They are to become either major players in our fantasy, or they serve another purpose for the youkai. Most if not all of them are thrown away by the outside world anyways."

"_How can you calmly say that?_"

"The world isn't as black and white as your demeanor suggests, as you act out, between being lazy and being an expert youkai exterminator. It's ugly, beautiful, and all in between. You as well as anyone know the shades of grey surrounding everything." Yukari smirked. "Earlier this year, you beat and robbed a youkai of her books, and then sold them. That's not really the actions a shrine maiden should take. After all, did you not take something from my village earlier, you little thief?"

"For my donation box!"

"Yes, donations. Why don't we talk about donations? Do you know what the youkai have to do in order to enjoy the delicacies that the cooking teams bring back? Would you like to know what I ask of them?"

When Reimu didn't answer, Yukari chuckled.

"Ah, my dear little miko. I ask them to give some of their power to your barrier to make it stronger."

Reimu's eyes widened, shocked.

"The...youkai..."

"The Hakurei border is extremely strong, stronger than I could ever make, than mere humans could ever make by themselves, because all the youkai pay tribute to the border your family made over a hundred years ago. In fact _I_ helped them set it up. We youkai know that the outside world has no need for us, that we can't remain out there, that we shouldn't be seen anymore. So we pay tribute to you. Your life is bound by the border. If you fall, it falls, and if it gets stronger...well, _we_ make _you_ strong. Make donations for your border, for you, as opposed to the donations that you get from the humans."

Yukari smiled.

"Ah, yes, donations for youkai extermination. Because they hate youkai. They hate what they don't understand. What's different."

"Weren't you the one who slaughtered humans, so much so that they had to send Yuyuko against you?"

"Fufufu. Well, can you hold me to my rebellious age of 200 years old? Those were the interesting old days, where they slaughtered my kind just for _being_ my kind. They killed my lover back then, so I did kind of go psychotic on the ones who hunted us. I've matured since then, gotten over it, my little miko, thanks to my friend Yuyuko. She actually defeated me, and showed me mercy. Me, a youkai, when I had planned to kill her so the Ayakashi's seal couldn't be placed, so it could consume all of humanity. Instead, I found a friend in her; I couldn't bring myself to kill her. That event changed me, Reimu. You should have seen her dance with the souls of the dead back then. It moved me, brought tears to my eyes, the beautiful soul she, a human, had. This was during the time I hated all of humanity. A single human changed that. A youkai accepting a human, and a human accepting a youkai. Your kind in here will follow suit, sort of."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I have seen the future. The human village will more openly accept youkai. And so will you."

Before Reimu could protest, Yukari continued.

"More players will be introduced. The village will become a bit more lax. Youkai will start to more openly deal with the village, and the village will accept their business, not just that Nightsparrow's stand or Rinnosouske's. My Ran will be accepted in the village to shop for me. As will Chen, eventually. Of course, there will be some attempts to kill the youkai that are there peacefully, since humanity will remain human. I won't allow the ones I see on Ran and Chen of course, but that's beside the point. You, you will receive a...rather unusual friend that will start living at your shrine, one of _my_ friends, to tell the truth. Soon, actually, but I don't want to give that away just yet."

"I look into your eyes and I see that you're enjoying this too much."

"What's _not_ to enjoy? What's not to find amusing? Thanks to the time traveling device, I can look into the future and see that everything is going according to plan, though now I won't be surprised when such events happen. I have a lot of parts to play, a lot of strings to pull in the future. I have to ensure what happens, happens, and that it doesn't deviate from its path due to interference. I actually have more work now. And so might you."

Reimu shook her head.

"You _are_ enjoying this, and you're enjoying hearing yourself talk about it. It's funny though, how you, a youkai who kills humans is now telling herself she is tasked with maintaining a human's mere imagination."

"Fufufu. Exactly right. Like I said, I find this amusing."

"...What I don't find amusing is that I'm losing those donations you said they make because they hate youkai. I have to _live_ on those donations...and me hanging around youkai isn't going to get me paid."

"Which is why it's beneficial if you and I become friends. I can get you anything you desire, Reimu."

"You mean you can _steal_ anything I desire from the outside world."

"Fufu. Get, steal, same difference. Point is, being my ally is good for your health. The two of us have a lot to accomplish for Gensokyo, the dark and the light. Except we aren't 'Black and White' like a yin yang orb is. We are just shades of gray. We will do what we can to survive, as well as keep Gensokyo running from both of our ends. But we can't be selfish now. We now have an enemy that will stop at nothing to destroy this world, our world, so we both must be vigilant. This thing does not discriminate youkai from human. Just because we are the fabrications of the girl, we are targets. Gensokyo is supposed to be a paradise, where we can live our lives in relative peace. I will die protecting this world and its peace. You, you increased that peace with your game of Danmaku, Shrine Maiden of this Paradise. And speaking of Danmaku..."

They both brought up their spell cards.

"So, what shall we wager then, little human?"

"What do you offer?"

"Well, nothing like the offer Remilia made to her servant there. I already have Ran and Chen."

"What then?"

"...Pride. Enjoyment. To see who is the better protector of Gensokyo."

"..."

Yukari winked.

"After all, isn't this just a game?"

A smile formed on Reimu's face.

* * *

What transpired before us for the next several minutes was simply amazing. Reimu and Yukari literally lit up the evening sky with their attacks, each going for broke. And Reimu...was smiling. A genuine smile of enjoyment. She was out there, having fun.

* * *

In the end, Yukari came down like a sack of bricks, caught by Ran and Chen before she hit the ground. Reimu landed soon after and fell to her hands and knees when she reached earth as well, gasping for air. It was an awe-inspiring battle between the two, and Reimu won.

I couldn't believe that Reimu won. Yukari's patterns were so complex, so dense, so seemingly-impossible, that even to this day I still can't believe that Reimu found a way to survive those spell cards. Even Ran was "used" as a spell card, assisting Yukari in the battle. Yukari even resorted to Taboo Time-Out spell cards, but Reimu did it. Reimu beat her with the Fantasy Seal.

Marisa, Alice, and Sakuya were at Reimu's side, helping her up.

"That was exceptional, Reimu!"

"Blew me away, ze!"

Reimu nodded as Remilia got up and walked to her, lightly clapping.

"Very good, Miss Hakurei. Very good indeed. Impressive as always..." Remilia's voice lowered in volume, so it was a mutter. "...and still undefeated."

_Remilia, you don't let things go easily, do you?_ Also, I was impressed to hear that - that Reimu was undefeated in Danmaku..._But didn't she get hit up there in Hakugyokorou? Well, then again, that wasn't exactly a fair match. So I guess in a fair Danmaku fight, Reimu is undefeated?_

Ran, Chen, and the ghosts were around Yukari, who was standing with help from her servants. It was a while before Yukari or Reimu spoke.

"Well...done, Miss Hakurei. You are indeed a worthy protector. I think we can build a very strong friendship out of this."

"You know...You know that I will always be called on to exterminate youkai, right?"

"You know that I will always spirit away humans, right? We both have our purposes to complete for Gensokyo. We just go about doing them differently. And speaking of purposes...the boy."

I stood from my seat as Yukari staggered towards me.

"As soon as I'm composed, I'll take you back home, back to the beginning of your year. Nobody will notice you've left. This should be interesting - all the other times you've time traveled, you've dealt with the reactions of what has already happened through time travel. Haruhi already knew 'John Smith' before she met you. What does that tell you?"

"That's easy. Another me had already lived through it."

I've seen enough movies to know that, at least. Ran handed Yukari a glass of water, which she downed quickly. The demon then slowly stood straight up, waving off everyone that was helping her to her feet, before she turned her attention to me.

"Correct. However, this appears to be the exception. This alteration of the events is fresh. You are the first one to experience it. The next Kyon -"

_I have a name, you know, not that stupid nickname._ My fault for bringing it in with me though.

"-in the timeline won't have Letty telling him that your friends are missing him, though considering that she was trying to keep you from going, she still might. No, this new altered timeline will have possible repercussions, consequences. I'll do my part to make sure they impact your story the least as possible. I can't have Gensokyo and the outside world cross paths more than it has to. I can't risk youkai making themselves known to Haruhi...or this place being known to her either. If you are brought in here again, those chances will increase."

She cleared her throat and gave me a serious look.

"In other words, what I'm saying is, I'll have to make sure you can never come back."

I had to let that sink in for a while. I couldn't come back.

Wait, why was I even thinking about this? The main reason why I pushed myself to go through danger seven days prior was so I could have a chance at going home. And yet there I was, having second thoughts.

_This place is dangerous._

_This place is beautiful._

_This place is insane._

_This place is everything I ever wanted as a kid._

_Death around every corner._

_Adventure under every rock._

_Things want to eat me in here._

_I have a very spiffy mansion to live in._

Those kinds of thoughts weren't helping. I had to clamp down and think, force a thought.

_I don't belong here. People who don't belong in the outside world end up here, right? That's what Yukari said. Me, I'm needed out there, with the Brigade. Needed to help them keep Haruhi relatively normal. I need to go back. Nagato will be deleted if I don't go back, right? The world will be remade. Everything I have fought for will have been for nothing. Which means I got stabbed for nothing. I bled for nothing. I went through the end of the world for nothing._

_I have to leave._

_I._

_Can't._

_Stay._

_Here._

It was decided...I hoped. Reimu, finally regaining her composure, walked up to me and placed her hand on my shoulder. She narrowed her eyes, her steel gaze coming back.

"Hey, Kyon. Promise me one thing."

"Anything, Reimu."

"You do your job out there, and I'll do mine in here."

"Of course."

And I guess that was my verbal confirmation that I would leave.

* * *

We were ready to go, when Remilia stepped forward.

"I'm going with you."

_What?!_

"Milady," Sakuya quickly said, "but-"

"No, Sakuya, and no, Yukari, I won't take no for an answer. I just want to see the girl for myself. That's all."

Sakuya stood there for a while, and just bowed. Yukari nodded.

"Very well."

_Please don't get any funny ideas, Remilia. Last thing I want is for Haruhi to turn into a vampire. Although...maybe I would get to watch her feed on Asahina-Damn it! I shouldn't think of stuff like that!_

Barring that fantasy, I let out a sigh, as I knew what was coming. Being in Gensokyo for eight days (awake anyways). Eight days that have been mind-blowing. Eight days with these people, and now...

It was over. It was time for goodbyes.

This was too cliché, wasn't it? Enter a whole new world, get involved in something with that world, end up finding something about yourself, and the like. And then you leave, saying your goodbyes to the people you've met.

It was actually happening to me.

I approached the ghosts. They both bowed.

"I really do want to apologize again for trying to take away the spring within you."

"It's okay, Youmu, you don't have to apologize again. But, but I want to say thank you again. Thank you, Youmu, for that thing with Letty."

Youmu simply bowed a little, not saying anything more. Myon moved forward, the ghost half of Youmu close to me.

"Uhm...goodbye, Myo-err..." I shot a glance at Youmu, who appeared annoyed that I was about to call her ghost half 'Myon'. "...I mean, other half of Youmu."

It twirled around me once and then returned to Youmu's side. I wondered if that half of Youmu showed Youmu's true emotions or whatnot when Youmu got serious like she was at that point. Yuyuko then floated towards me, smiling her trademark smile.

"Kyon, should you ever die, I'll ask the Judge of the Dead to allow your soul into my realm. I'd like for you to be my eternal guest."

"...I...uh...appreciate the gesture, Miss Saigyouji."

_And what a morbid gesture._

"Please. Just call me Yuyuko."

Ran and Chen were next, and I didn't have much to say to them, though I did manage to make Chen purr again when I scratched her on the head. They both bowed. Alice walked up to me, on the verge of tears.

"Well, Kyon...what can you say to someone who kept you from dying?"

_Ah, Alice..._

She gave me a hug, trying not to cry even more.

"I can't thank you enough."

"You're a good person, Alice. You helped us solve this."

Then my three companions. The three girls who I shared an adventure with a week prior. They fought to keep me alive, and to save the world. A time-stopping former vampire hunter maid, a lazy but powerful miko whose life contains the youkai of this world, and a pretty, thieving, flirty witch. Such amazing girls.

I just stood there, unable to say anything. The same went for them. They all stared back at me, not saying a word.

Sakuya stepped forward, giving me a hug.

"I wish you luck."

"Thank you for everything, Sakuya."

_Even though when we first met you wanted to kill me._

Reimu was next.

"Remember. Keep everything out there manageable."

"I'll do my best."

"I'm counting on you."

_Just don't go around beating up youkai for no good reason, okay? I didn't like hearing that you robbed a youkai._

And Marisa...was crying?

"I don't...I don't know why I'm...so sad here, ze. I shouldn't be..."

She rushed forward, embracing me.

"When I was entranced by the tree, you kept calling out my name. It brought me back, Kyon. You brought me back."

_Marisa..._

She kissed me again.

She looked me in the eyes, and smiled.

_Why did she do that? Why did she do that?_

"I know you have your own world, and it would mean trouble if you ever came back, but..."

She took a few retreating steps.

_Damn it, why did she do that._

"We can't stay in the same world, ze." She hung her head, lips pursed and tears in her eyes.

_Why. _

Yukari called out to me.

"We need to get going, Kyon. I got my energy just right to avoid detection from your friends. It'll be as if you never left your world."

I nodded, and walked to her and Remilia. Before I got to them, I turned and waved. They all waved back.

_I did not want that, Marisa. Not like that. Not for the goodbye. Damn it. Why did she have to do that?_

"Kyon, you know this is it, right? I'll be doing my best to make sure you can never cross paths with Gensokyo again. But I will be watching over you and Haruhi. That's all I will do. I do not want our worlds to interfere with each other. You do understand this, right?"

_Why is this hurting so much? Why did she have to do that?_

"I do."

_Damn it damn it damn it damn it._

A rip in reality appeared, a rift full of eyes, each end of the rip tied with a bow. The three of us entered, and the rip closed within seconds.

_Goodbye, Gensokyo._

_..._

_...goodbye, Marisa. _

I had to blink, my eyes stinging. Tears rolled down my cheeks. It wasn't fair to develop those feelings out of the blue like that. _Damn it all, why did she do that? It's not fair._

"Now, I must warn you two," said Yukari as a weird sensation came over me, "this is going to be unsettling. The combination of the time traveling device and my boundary travels is very-"

I didn't hear what she said. I blacked out.

* * *

**January 1st, 2004**

I awoke with a start, sitting up in less than a second. The cat perked its head up in response to me. That was the first thing I clearly saw. I was disoriented until I realized where I was. Back in my bedroom of Tsuruya's vacation house. I was in the same clothes I had on when I went to bed. I rubbed my eyes, trying to get my breathing to a normal level. Looking over at the clock, I found it was well past two in the morning.

_Well. Wonder what Sigmund Freud would have to say about that._

I hated this, this position I was in before. I didn't know if it was all just a dream or what. Shamisen let out a meow as I laid back down, closing my eyes, trying to think. I mean, there was no denying what happened. Gensokyo was real, right? I had experienced a grand adventure, lived out a childhood dream. So why was I filled with such a...negative feeling? Should I have stayed?

_Or was it really all just a dream? If it was, then it was one fast dream. I've only been asleep for about an hour!_

Reality was, the negative feeling was due to leaving Marisa, I think. It was weird. I mean, I liked her, yeah, but for a feeling that strong after she kissed me? Taking the time to think about it, it was unusual.

Maybe it was a combination of things. After all, I'd never see her again, so maybe that's why it hurt more. She showed an interest in me, so that's a plus for any guy. She was smart, funny, boisterous, and all that. To let that go...no matter how you look at it, it would hurt.

_Dream or not, Marisa will be on my mind for a long while._

The door creaked open.

"Hey, Kyon?"

It was Haruhi. She stepped in, her eyes bleary, tired.

"Hey, you awake?"

I slowly sat up in my bed.

"What do you want, Haruhi? It's two in the morning."

Despite my almost violent wake up, I myself was a bit tired. I may have said that with more than the usual annoyance. I don't think Haruhi paid it any mind.

"I just...I heard something. Did you hear something?"

Shamisen mewed again as I laid back down and closed my eyes.

"It's probably just the cat. Go back to bed, Haruhi."

"No, what I heard wasn't any cat. I thought I heard, I dunno, wings."

I opened my eyes. _No way, right?_

"Wings? You crazy?"

Well, she is. Haruhi lightly shook her head, brushing her bangs out of her eyes.

"...You know what, forget it. I just dreamt it."

"Ugh. Go back to bed."

She began to close the door, but then she just kind of stood there. _Really?_ Once again I sat up.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know...something feels...different."

She kept her place there, blinking, unsure. I shook my head, feeling even more annoyed.

"Look, Haruhi..."

I paused as I stared at her for a bit. All of my annoyance had washed away as I stared at Haruhi Suzumiya.

Her.

It's all her.

All of them, due to her.

Even though some of them wanted me dead or for a snack. But that's beside the point.

Yet, it's not just Gensokyo. Nagato, Asahina, Koizumi. Everyone who is associated with them. All of them, made to fill her wishes, her need to have paranormal entities around, to bring it all to life. To make the world interesting, and to have fun with them.

That's the purpose of the S.O.S. Brigade.

And I'm chosen to be a part of all this.

_I will never trade this for anything else._

I lightly cleared my throat. I kept my gaze on Haruhi. Even in the low light afforded by the moonlight that shone off the snow outside, she looked so beautiful.

_Marisa was fun, but she's not a part of my world. She's out of my reach. Haruhi...Haruhi is right in front of me. She is a part of my world. And not only that, apparently Marisa is a creation of Haruhi's. _

_So...Marisa is a part of Haruhi? So, wait, are all the girls a part of Haruhi then? Sakuya, Reimu, and all of them?_

I didn't like that line of thought, because then the youkai would be a part of Haruhi too. My mind went to Rumia. For the next while, I went over why I didn't like such a theory. Maybe because I was distracting myself from the torn feeling I was having. I didn't expect such pain to happen over that, dream or not.

_Thing is, again, dream or not, I'll never see Marisa again. I guess this is one of those situations where it's best that I let go, right?_

Also, despite all my gripes about Haruhi, I do find myself caring for her. Despite everything, how she treats everyone, how she acts, how she...belittles me sometimes...I still find myself caring about her.

I had to stop thinking that over, as time was passing. Haruhi was still standing in the doorway, her hed bobbing slightly. She was obviously waiting for me to say something. I took a few seconds, searching for the right thing to say to Haruhi.

It wasn't like I was "settling" for Haruhi. No. I _do_ care about her. I care about her enough that I changed the world to get back with her. I care about her that I want to spend time with her.

_Isn't that just dandy? I think I've fallen for two girls - and one I can't see again. I know I'll be happy with Haruhi, but that pain over Marisa will take a while to go away._

I wasn't in a no-win situation, thankfully. Still, the pain stung, and would sting for a while.

"...Everything's fine. Just...everything is fine. It probably was just the cat, or a dream, or both. Everything's okay. This year will be a good year, I know it. There's nothing to worry about. Now, get some rest...good night, Haruhi Suzumiya. And Happy New Year."

Haruhi gave me a sleepy smile that actually melted my heart, as she slowly nodded before closing the door. I heard her walk down the hall, and her door close.

Which was good, that she left and all. Because while I was saying that, I had noticed that we weren't' alone in the room. Haruhi didn't notice the other person in there. I let out a big sigh, seeing the shadow in the corner move. I knew who it was, by the outline. I was not surprised when she spoke.

"You know, she really is incredible."

_Well, it wasn't a dream after all._

"I saw you in the corner of my eye, Remilia. Should I ask why you're still here?"

The vampire stepped out of the shadows, grinning, mostly because I couldn't help but place my hand on my neck, checking.

Well, I didn't want to have to explain vampire bite marks to everyone at breakfast. Thankfully I wasn't bitten.

"Well, I did have to see her for myself. Amazing girl. Such power emanating from her, kind of like mine, though of course way more powerful. I mean, if the two of us were able to ever consciously use and abuse our powers, we'd be unstoppable. It's just mind-blowing really, that I appear to be her dark half."

I couldn't help but raise my eyebrow as she sat on the bed next to me.

"Dark half?"

She winked as she pet Shamisen. Interesting that the cat was allowing a vampire to pet it. I guess Shamisen didn't care.

"When I think about it, it makes sense, that is if you want to look at it that way. I have her personality, I live my life exactly how and when I want...I'm her, without any inhibitions. I'm _who_ she wants to be. I have servants do my bidding, my mere whims - they are faithful to me, unyielding. And I take care of them. I'm her fantasy trip, Kyon. I'm the part of her that lives out her pure id."

"Except for when Reimu and Marisa come knocking on your door to put a stop to you. At least Haruhi hasn't done anything as drastic as blocking out the sun. And besides, the whole 'you girls may just be parts of her' thing doesn't sit well with me. I don't mean to be insulting, but you girls have some issues."

_Then again, so does Haruhi._

"Hmph. Normally I wouldn't let a human insult me like that," Remilia said, obviously a little offended. "You're lucky I like you Kyon, and that you did me a service. Otherwise-"

"My head would roll, right?"

She chuckled. And I couldn't help but smile, too. Those similarities again. Her face softened as she let out a little sigh.

"Oh, oh, I'm going to miss you."

My grin went full-blown.

"You're going to miss the free meals you got from me. I'm never going to get over that as long as I live. But yeah, I'll miss you, too."

She grinned, showing me her fangs.

"Heheh. You know, maybe I'll think about finding a way to directly control your fate...so maybe...maybe you could come back?"

"Yeah, thanks, but no thanks."

"You enjoyed yourself, didn't you?"

It took me a while to respond. I no longer smiled. _Please don't make this any harder, Remilia._

"That's...not what I said."

Remilia lost the emotion on her face. I guess she knew what I was thinking. She stopped petting the cat, and stood up.

"I get it. Okay. But if the chance comes up where I can drag you back in, I'll take it."

"I'm sure you will."

I wouldn't have it any other way when it came to her. She looked up.

"Yukari."

As if on command, a rip opened against the wall and Remilia stepped over to it. I blinked my eyes, not wanting the tears to fall.

"Goodbye, Mistress Remilia. And thank you. For everything."

_Why is this so difficult? Why am I like this? I mean, she drank my blood. Got all scary when I questioned her. Then again, why am I thinking like that? Do I really not want to feel like this? Am I questioning my own feelings? I'm actually sad over this. I just might never see her again. I'll probably never see any of them again._

She paused. Her head was lowered, and she didn't turn to me.

"Goodbye, Kyon. And remember, you are my servant. I have your blood within me. You are forever bound to the Scarlet Devil. Should you ever come back, I will always take care of you."

And with that, she left my world.

_That's it. I'm out of Gensokyo. Yukari said that she would do her best to never let me come back._

I sat there, letting out another sigh, not knowing how I would go to sleep. Due to all the emotions I had experienced, I was fully awake. _Two in the morning, huh? The past me is having fun with Rumia by now._

Getting up and going to the window, I spent the next hour watching the New Year's snow drift to the ground in the moonlight. It was soothing, really, and a little jarring. I had experienced a week of spring, and there I was, back at winter again.

As I got up to go back to sleep, it was then that I noticed the trinket on the nightstand next to my bed. One of the tiny trinkets I saw back in Mayohiga. A little obsidian cat figure with two tails. A nekomata.

I would carry that thing for the rest of my life.

* * *

At breakfast, everything was back to normal, and I don't think anybody noticed anything. Neither Koizumi, Nagato, nor Asahina took me aside and asked me if something, anything happened. Well, for the time being anyways. For the next twenty four hours, Nagato would stare at me. Finally, she simply said one sentence.

"You aged."

She did not elaborate or go into any other detail on that, but I think she had some idea that something did happen. Weird thing is, she would never bring that up again.

I would say that I never saw anyone from Gensokyo again, but that wouldn't be true. Right after Asahina's kidnapping, after that whole mess, there was one Saturday excursion that made me think I saw someone. Nagato and I were going to the Library after another one of those lot draws, and we went through an exceptionally busy intersection. I had bumped into a girl, I didn't get a look at her face, but I saw she had two accessories in her green hair, a frog and a snake. I turned around to say I was sorry, but she didn't turn around, kept on going through the crowd.

That wasn't the weird part. The weird part is that I could swear that I saw Yukari. It was brief, like in those shows, where people seem to disappear when other people walk in front of them. Yukari was watching that girl, smiling.

When I didn't see Yukari anymore, I turned towards Nagato. She was staring at the girl.

"Is something wrong, Nagato?"

"..."

She kept her stare, a small unsure look on her face. My mind went back to what Yukari told me about trust as Nagato spoke.

"...It's nothing. I thought there was something, but there wasn't."

"'Something'?"

She shook her head and continued walking to the library. It wasn't like Nagato to go in a round-about way like that. Though what did Yukari say? My friends in the Brigade are just simply low-level members of their organizations. They have to follow orders from the higher ups. As powerful as Nagato is, she's still essentially a mere soldier in this "war", a mere "grunt".

"It's nothing. Let's go."

I shot one last look at the girl whom the Youkai of Gaps and Boundaries was smiling at before rejoining Nagato.

_I wonder. Is that girl welcomed?_

* * *

-begin-

New threat has emerged.

Entity YUKARI YAKUMO has shown hostilities and disruptions to all operations regarding GENSOKYO.

Requesting resources to combat.

-Kuyou Suou

-end-

* * *

-update-

REQUEST DENIED.

Closing all GENSOKYO operations.

-end-

* * *

-private entry detected-

-locked-

-enter password-

-password accepted-

-displaying file-

-private entry-

-April 10th, 2004-

I will not accept being defeated and scared away by such a being.

If the superiors won't do anything, then I will have to do it myself.

I will deal with Gensokyo directly, not through unreliable tools.

-Kuyou Suou

-end-

* * *

-make new entry? y/n-

-y-

-begin-

**I'd like to see you try to take us on again.**

**After all, it appears that your kind and your powers are weak against Danmaku.**

**-Love, Yukari.**

-end-

-save-

-saving...-

-save successful-

-quit-

* * *

When I was in college, I made the trip to find the outside world's, well, my world's Hakurei shrine. The shrine that Remilia spoke of during our first dinner together was indeed the Hakurei shrine - one in Gensokyo, one in my world. It was the only thing besides the general terrain that both worlds shared. Koakuma had told me that the area Gensokyo was in was near Lake Suwa and in between the Nagano Prefecture and the Yamanashi Prefecture. Which, when I looked it up first chance I got after getting out of Gensokyo, put it in the Yatsugatake-Chushin Kogen Quasi-National Park - smack-dab in the middle of Japan.

It took me a whole day of hiking around, but I found it. It was hidden, tucked away in heavy foliage and overgrown trees. If it wasn't for the red gate, I would have missed it. A run down, abandoned, decrepit old shrine. But it was easily recognizable to me. There was no doubt - this was the Hakurei Shrine, the shrine where I spent an afternoon lazing around with Marisa Kirisame and Reimu Hakurei before they tried to get me out of Gensokyo. Seeing it brought a flood of memories back as I brought out my nekomata figure as if in automated response.

I felt like crying. My fist tightly held onto the figure as I fought the tears.

Exploring it after recovering from that, I found that nobody had been there in decades, possibly well over a century. Dust was piled everywhere, the roof was collapsed at some parts, and it was just dark, with all the trees giving shade. I spent an hour there, just looking at the shrine. The only object there was a lone donation box.

I put a 1,000 yen note in it.

_Hope you get that, Reimu. It's not much, but it's something, right? Besides, the cost of traveling here really put a dent in my wallet. And maybe you won't have to beat up some poor random youkai to make ends meet._

I tried not to think of Marisa, but I knew I smelled her scent as I turned to leave. It was unmistakable. The thought that she possibly just passed my position in Gensokyo in relative to my world...

_She must be visiting Reimu right now. Right now, a few feet from me, in Gensokyo, they are talking to each other._

_Damn it, I can still taste her kiss._

It's still not fair.

* * *

**Thank you all for reading.**

**There is one last thing I would like to say though. Remember when I mentioned a NakaTeleeli? He put up a video...well, a lot of videos. A "Let's Play". It was my crash course into the world of Touhou. It was a crossover, actually, a fan-made game. Touhou, with "Mother", which is better known in the states as "Earthbound". **

**Yes, the game where Meiling slept through everything. The game where Yuka got...well...yeah.**

**Touhou Mother.**

**There is so much out there for you to enjoy about this world. It was not my original intention for this to become such a Touhou-Centric Crossover with Haruhi. It just ended up like this when I started writing. I did have goals, I did drive it where I wanted it. It just ended up like this. It ended up like a love letter to Touhou. I found myself wanting to do this series justice, and to bring it to new blood. If it's through Haruhi Suzumiya fans, so be it.**

**When you think about it, they really are a perfect fit, aren't they? The Hakurei Border and the Closed Spaces. Paranormal entities keeping themselves hidden. Maids taking part in incidents. **

**I'm just rambling now.**

**It's time to close the book on this.**

**If you have taken something from this story...becoming a fan of the series, the music, or what not, if you have taken even just a mere feeling from reading this story...then I may have...done...something. What, I don't know.**

**But I hope it meant something for at least one person out there.**

**Because then the purpose of this story would be complete.**

**-SD9**

* * *

**See you next Phantasm, kid.**

**Bring your friends, ze.**

**Because Gensokyo will welcome the S.O.S. Brigade.**

**Imperishable Eight? Endless Night?**


	14. PN Episode 1 Import

**Amazing. Ten years ago to this day, the first book came out. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Ten years. Think about that. The series is a decade old, and is still popular...despite the trolling of Endless Eight.**

**Anyways...**

**Fan fiction is, by all purposes, a very low form of entertainment. At least, it should be, right?**

**Time for a little history lesson.**

**The term "Sherlockian" applies to fans of the Sherlock Holmes stories, and they were essentially the first literary recognized, in a way, fan fiction writers. Characters who were in the stories got their own published series. Remember , the girl from the Robert Downey Jr. adaptations? The somewhat love interest for Sherlock? She got her own detective series. Hell, one fan remembered that Holmes mused that he would like to be a beekeeper when he retired, and someone made a series about a beekeeper apprentice who ends up working for a retired Sherlock and solving cases.**

**It's just that the term "fan fiction" has become a dirty word in America. Oversaturated by Mary Sue's, self-inserts, and yaoi, it does not have much credibility here in the States, even by the ones who know it.**

**But then you have the fandom of other countries, other cultures...case in point, Touhou and Haruhi.**

**I've already mentioned the Churuya thing last season. Fandom gave birth to such a popular envisioning that it became animated and marketed. It has become engrained in the fan culture. When you think "Tsuruya", you think smoked-cheese. That's the power of fandom.**

**And Touhou?**

**Where to begin? I won't bother. It's too big.**

**The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is owned by Nagaru Tanigawa. Touhou Project is owned by ZUN and Team Shanghai Alice. I own neither. This is a fan fiction of those works.**

**Beta Readers for this Episode:**

**Another Duck**

**werewolf2005**

* * *

_"Viewing things from only one point of view shows that you lack imagination and analysis skills. Even if the answer is in front of your eyes then, you'll be blind to it. That's because you can only see the back side of the answer. In reality, you're doing pretty well as a reporter."_

-Yukari Yakumo, being interviewed by Aya Shameimaru - **Bohemian Archive in Japanese Red**

* * *

I thought that I was out of Gensokyo forever - that I couldn't cross paths with it any more. The months following that incident had yielded some interesting incidents themselves, including a big one, but I found myself thinking of Gensokyo...less and less, as if were the details of a vivid dream slowly being forgotten. I knew it wasn't a dream, as I clearly recall talking with Remilia Scarlet in my room, and I still had that nekomata trinket, but still it crossed my mind less and less.

Granted, I was busy with other things that took priority in my mind. The events of early 2004 had kept me occupied, along with school work and normal living. I had to continue my life as normally as possible...as normal as you can get with a time traveller, an esper, and an alien, that is.

I accepted it, you know? Accepted that it was really over. Besides - I had a blast in Gensokyo. I really should have no regrets. I went on an out-of-this-world (and life) adventure with three amazing girls, discovered the existence of the afterlife, sealed an ancient evil being, brought life back to a desolate winter land, and saved the world...again. What more can a guy like me ask for?

A hundred million yen, a model under each arm, fame, fast cars, etc. But that's all beside the point.

Point is, I thought I was done with the land of fantasy. A land created by Haruhi Suzumiya.

But Gensokyo wasn't done with me.

* * *

**Perishable Night**

**Episode 1**

**["Import"]**

* * *

_**"Although Gensokyo is a world of youkai, humans occasonally wander in accidentally.**_

_**This is known as being 'spirited away' by the people of the outer world.**_

_**Most humans who wander into Gensokyo don't return. If they are so fortunate as to be able to return to the outer world alive, they would be met with an overwhelming mountain of questions.**_

_**No one would believe the truth anyway."**_

**-Perfect Cherry Blossom: Prologue**

* * *

**July 15th, 1914**

The night sky was exquisite, the full moon illuminated the land below. The clear sky allowed the moon to shine in all of its glory, which was happily accepted by the one flying through said sky.

The vampire smiled as she continued her speedy flight over her continent. It had been a while since she'd let loose like this, flying at high speed, countries being passed in mere seconds. Remilia Scarlet loved the way the land looked. So many villages, towns, and such all just a blur. So many people to choose from tonight to feast on. Of course, she'd have to save some for her sister...

She sighed as she noticed a gathering of military forces. She felt the winds of war building, that the tensions on her continent were rising to unstable degrees. It was only a matter of time before war broke out. She wondered what would be the trigger for it all, but she also wondered if she should take advantage of it. Soldiers went missing all the time in war, so should such a thing happen, Remilia would have an easier time acquiring blood.

As she pondered that, something caught her attention, and made her heart flutter. She slowed down, and stopped. Her senses detected something special. Something she hadn't felt in a century.

_What is that?_

Curious, the vampire moved towards the village where she felt it.

The torches lit the familiar scene. It was an execution. The village square was filled with an angry mob, all shouting, all in an uproar. A person was being led, bound, and with a hood over her - it was a female - head. Remilia stared at the girl. She sensed power within the girl, and wondered why she didn't do anything; why wasn't she fighting back?

The vampire watched from the rooftops as the humans led the...thing to the front of the church. There, a man in a priest get-up started going on about an "evil one" being caught, that they would "execute this agent of the devil" and such.

Such boring tripe.

The priest then removed the hood. It was a girl. A girl with long straight purple hair. Her unemotional stare at the crowd confused Remilia.

_You're about to be executed by these people, little girl. Either you're brave, or you're stupid. Or maybe both._

Remilia watched as the girl was then led to the makeshift gallows they had in front of the church. All the while, the villagers were jeering, calling the girl names, spitting on her, hitting her. The girl took it, with no emotional response.

Then a male attempted to fondle her. The girl turned to him, uttered something, and the man was thrown across the square, through a window. It wasn't the girl who threw him, however. It was as if the air picked him up, and tossed the man. The crowd gasped, then started to yell at the girl.

Remilia just smiled.

_Ah...you're something special, aren't you? That was magic. You...you're a magician. A witch._

It had been well over a century since the vampire had seen a magician of this caliber, or any at all for that matter. Remilia had known that the paranormal ones were starting to fade away, and it saddened her. She tilted her head as the girl was placed in front of a noose, wondering if the girl would make an attempt to escape. The crowd started to exhibit joy, chanting "justice!"

Interesting. The continent, nay, the world was beginning to crumble around them, but these people still found time to persecute. Their world could end tomorrow, but they still blindly clung to their hatreds. Stupid humans. Always fighting what is different. Seeing that, seeing the crowd about to execute this wonderful person and them enjoying it...

_Wasn't going to do anything, but their enjoyment is starting to piss me off._

Remilia chuckled as she placed her hand on the spear strapped to her back - Gungnir. Her fingers lightly tapping on the weapon as she wanted to wait for the right moment. It didn't take long. The priest looked like he wanted to be the one to take the life of the witch. He himself placed the noose around the neck of the girl, and started to give a speech, much to the approval of the crowd.

Remilia had enough of the humans having fun. It was time for _her_ to have fun. She threw the spear.

It decapitated the priest.

The beautiful screams that followed were music to the vampire's ears. She grinned as she called for Gungnir to return, as the whole of the village turned to her. Remilia always loved this part - when her prey realizes _what_ they are dealing with, but they haven't yet realized that they have no chance.

Nobody has a chance against the Scarlet Devil.

Remilia jumped down on the nearest target, impaling him. She then moved onto the next target, biting out the jugular. And then the next one, ripping out the heart.

_Keep the kills fresh. Keep them different. Keep it interesting._

She always challenged herself to find different ways to kill her prey. It was so much fun to kill an entire village by killing every single person in a different way, and Flan always enjoyed hearing about it. Remilia shoved an old man into a stand of torches, burning the human to death.

_Let's see. Decapitation, Heart-Rip, Impaling, Incendiary, Jugular...what's next? Oh! Rip off this one's arms and let him bleed to death! Flan will like this one!_

Remilia did as such, and hung onto the right arm. As the limbless man shrieked and flopped about on the ground, she brought up the bloody end to her mouth, and had a taste.

_Mmmm. Delicious. These humans have a good diet going for them. I shall fully enjoy tonight!_

She dropped the arm as she noticed a human running for the girl on the gallows, shouting that "She is the servant of the devil!" He went for the trapdoor-

And Remilia rushed forward, pinning him to the ground with Gungnir, rewarded by the shriek of the man as he had a spear in his chest cavity. The vampire then removed the wide-eyed girl from the noose, picked up the human, and placed him in the noose. With a smile, Remilia opened the trap door. The human's neck snapped.

_All right. Broken neck. What's next-_

Remilia heard the gunshot and felt the bullet go through her body. She fell to one knee, gritting her teeth, the pain unbearable for a few seconds. The human who had dared shoot her placed his revolver against her forehead.

Remilia grimaced as she stared up at the man.

"You really think that's going to stop me, human?"

The man sneered at the vampire, readying the hammer of the revolver for another shot when he burst into flames. Remilia shot a glance at the girl she just freed - she had her hand raised at the man, and flames were covering her hands. She had cast some sort of fire spell.

_I already did incendiary! There goes that challenge..._

Still, the magician did help out the vampire. Remilia stood back up and turned to the girl.

"Not that I needed the assist, but thank you."

The girl nodded as Remilia's body healed up.

"So...you're not normal, are you."

Again the girl nodded.

"If I may ask, what's your name?"

"Patchouli Knowledge."

"Knowledge? Knowledge?" _What kind of surname is Knowledge? And she looks bookish, too._ Her name was almost Dickensian. "Huh. Interesting. Actually, you are more interesting. It's been a long time since I've come across someone like you, Miss Knowledge."

"I am a magician."

"I can see that."

Remilia blurted that out, and the magician raised an eyebrow. At first, the vampire thought that the girl would be taken back by that, but she just smirked.

"And you are the famed 'Scarlet Devil', are you not?"

Remilia arrogantly smiled.

"Ah. My reputation precedes me." Remilia kept her smile as she curtsied. "But allow me to introduce myself properly. My name is Remilia Scarlet."

Patchouli smiled, a sparkle shining in her eye.

"So it wasn't just a moniker. It's actually your name."

"Yes and no. I am called the 'Scarlet Devil' because I tend to get a bit..." Remilia referenced to her 'handiwork' as she cleaned the spearhead of Gungnir, "...messy with my kills. I know it's not proper to get blood all over oneself, but it does have a nice tendency to strike fear in the hearts of my enemies."

"Speaking of enemies..."

The two girls gazed out at the square. Everyone had gotten armed. Patchouli cracked her knuckles, and picked up the revolver the man had. Still smiling, Remilia once again brought out Gungnir.

"If I may ask a question, Miss Knowledge."

Patchouli's left hand began to sparkle, a magical orb starting to form, but she shot a glance at the vampire.

"Go ahead."

"Why didn't you escape?"

The magician bit into her lower lip, as if trying to find the words to explain herself.

"I've just started out as a magician...so my powers aren't great. I don't think I could have taken on all of them by myself before one of them would strike me down. At most, I would have killed approximately half the village before they overwhelmed me. Possibly 90% if I got lucky...and if all chaotic aspects went _entirely_ in my favor, I _might_ have been able to kill everyone. The odds were not in my favor. But since you're here..."

"Since I'm here I take the ones on the left, and you take the ones on the right?"

Patchouli grinned.

"Race you to that fifty percent."

"You're on."

The two smiled at each other before charging at the villagers.

* * *

**July 3rd, 2004**

I awoke to the sounds of my sister watching an episode of Sailor Moon R on DVD. The ending song, _Otome no Policy_ by Ishiida Yoko was my audible greeting back into the realm of consciousness. I laid there on the couch, the hot afternoon July breeze flowing in through my open living room window. My heart pounding, as I didn't know what to make of the violence I had dreamt.

_Remilia Scarlet and Patchouli Knowledge massacring an entire village._

I had no idea why I dreamt that. You would think that with my time and experiences in Gensokyo, I would have dreamt about it numerous times in the months that passed. Yet that dream was the first I had. I mean, I had nightmares about the little youkai of shadows, Rumia, but those happened while I was in Gensokyo itself. Since coming back to my world in January, I had not had a single dream about the girls. Until just then.

_Interesting, to say the least. Is that how they met? Remilia and Patchouli?_

Of course, I would have no way of finding it out, right? I was out of Gensokyo forever. Yukari Yakumo, the youkai of gaps and boundaries, said so.

I brought out the obsidian nekomata figure I had in my pocket, and I held it out, staring at it. I thought about Gensokyo again, reminiscing about the Scarlet Devil Mansion, Hakugyokorou, the Hakurei Shrine, Mayohiga, Alice Margatroid's House full of creepy dolls, all those places.

Thoughts that were interrupted by the ringing of my cell phone. My good mood was wiped away when I realized who it was. Haruhi Suzumiya. My sister shot me a glance, speaking as she turned.

"Kyon-kun, den...ah, you're awake."

Seeing that I was going to answer the phone and not let the ringing interrupt her show, she then focused on the next episode.

I clenched my teeth as I pressed the answer button, and without me even saying "Hello", Haruhi's loud voice boomed through the phone's speaker, mid-berating.

_"-on't you know what time it is Kyon?! How dare you forget what today was! I'm gonna give you the harshest penalty I've ever given you! You got thirty minutes to get here! On the double!"_

I hung up, smiling a smug smile. _Ah, Saturday again. _I had woken up early, and I had a few chores to do. After I finished, I laid down on the couch since I had some time to kill, and I guess I dozed off - which brought me to the predicament I found myself in. I was late for the Saturday excursion into town, and getting Haruhi angry in the process.

I got off the couch and stretched, taking a pause to watch the show my sister was watching. A show about magical girls. I couldn't help but smile, knowing that I knew actual magical girls.

Granted, they are magical girls of different kinds, but you get the idea.

But I couldn't stand there all day, not unless I wanted to tick off Haruhi. I made my way to the entryway, saying my goodbyes. I got my bike, and just stood there, looking up into the sky. I mused that every second that I stalled, the backlash from Haruhi was only going to get that much worse.

I couldn't help it. I thought about the girls again, remembering them, wondering what they were doing...

What Marisa was-

_No. Stop. Don't think of her._

My phone beeped, signalling that I had a text. I found myself grateful that it was a distraction from a road my mind wanted to go down.

It was from Koizumi, recommending that I make haste. No, seriously, that's what it said. "I recommend you make haste."

_Right. Can't make Haruhi too angry._

Ah, such is the life of a member of the S.O.S. Brigade. We heed the whims of Haruhi Suzumiya.

We...Itsuki Koizumi, the Esper. Mikuru Asahina, the Time Traveler. And Yuki Nagato, the alien human interface. And, of course, me, a normal high school boy who has nothing special about him...unless you count what happened in Gensokyo to be that special part, which I don't any more.

We all fight for her stability. And we save the world. Our merry band of High School kids saving the world.

And I'm loving it. Even though on paper it sounds stupid.

But I think it would still sell well if it became some sort of story. Who knows. People buy and read anything these days.

* * *

**July 15th, 1973**

Remilia Scarlet tightened her grip on the youkai, her free hand morphed sharp, like claws, ready to tear open the throat of the youkai if it did anything. The youkai struggled to move, but it was too weak, too beaten down. Gritting her teeth, the vampire coldly spoke.

"It's over."

The youkai stared into her eyes, the look of defeat dawning. It's lips quivered, and tears began to form. Remilia stared back, feeling a bit of sadness. Blinking away the blood from her own eyes, the vampire's breathing started to settle down as she took into account what happened. The two had fought for well over an hour, tearing each other up. And it was one of the best fights she ever had.

_All for this land. All for this land that I will claim for myself._

She continued to stare into the emerald eyes of the youkai, who was still crying.

_Such a pitiful creature now. But it's so lethal. Such a powerful warrior. It would be a shame to kill it...maybe I shouldn't claim just the land..._

An idea formed in Remilia's head. She instantly liked it, even though it would take time to educate the youkai. The vampire inwardly shrugged. _I'll just get Patchi to do that. Read, write, become intelligent. This youkai has so much potential to become a grand servant of mine._

Still staring at the youkai, the vampire let her hands morph back to normal. The creature's eyes widened, and spoke an unintelligible "huh?" in response. Remilia brushed the hair out of her eyes, her voice soft.

"Geez. You're just like Flan back then. Immature. Ignorant. Clumsy. Shining with such a brilliance, yet one that's ever so fleeting."

The youkai stared in confusion at this. Remilia smiled - seeing this "Scarlet Devil" like this just struck a chord with the vampire.

"I've really taken to you."

Remilia kissed the youkai, much to the youkai's complete surprise.

The vampire then held onto the youkai, still smiling.

"Your fate is in my hands."

The creature simply shed more tears. Remilia caressed her newest acquisition, proud.

"You poor creature, not knowing why you were born, why you exist. I shall provide your existence with a name, a meaning."

_I can make use of you. But first, I think introductions are in order._ Remilia straightened up, and was about to truss herself up before remembering that her clothes were torn to shreds. How the remnants of her clothes were hanging onto her body right then was a mystery all in itself. _No use even trying with that..._

"My name is Remilia Scarlet. From this day forth, you shall become mine. And your name shall be..."

Remilia stared at the features of the youkai, the youkai in human form. She was definitely of Oriental descent. Quite handy for youkai to take the form of the people of their nationality. It made identifying _what_ they are somewhat easier.

Remilia took a minute to study the facial construction of this girl, her index finger tracing the cheek bones, the jaw line, everything. _Not Japanese...not...wait. Chinese. She is Chinese._ Unusual for a Chinese girl to have red hair and green eyes, but that added to her charm. Besides - red is a wonderful color. And isn't she the original Scarlet Devil of Gensokyo?

The vampire smiled. She came up with the name. It fit this amazing creature perfectly.

"Your name shall be Hong Meiling. Hong is 'Scarlet', and 'Meiling' is 'Beautiful Belle'. I think it suits you perfectly. My pretty Scarlet Devil."

The youkai, Hong Meiling, blinked a few times, before speaking.

"...Hong...Meiling..."

* * *

**July 14th, 2004**

"-on? Kyon!"

I snapped out of it, finding myself under the glare of Haruhi. It was after school, and Haruhi wanted us to go out somewhere, just a normal after school get together, I guess. It was a rare event, so I hastily agreed to it.

The Brigade had gotten together at the usual spot, and of course went into the restaurant we frequent. We were sitting at a booth, and I guess I zoned out.

_Again, I zoned out thinking of Gensokyo. This time, Remilia and Meiling._ The daydreams were vivid, almost like I was really there. The cold of the night, the rustle of the leaves in the wind - I even could smell the blood covering Remilia and Meiling in that memory. To say it was freaking me out would be an understatement.

Worst part is, I was having those visions since the third of July. Patchouli, Reimu, Marisa, Remilia, Flandre, and everyone.

At first, I thought it was because I was missing everyone from there, but after the third day of the visions, I started to get worried.

"Kyon, what the hell is the matter with you?!" Haruhi asked with such a demanding tone. "You're spacing out so much! School, on our Brigade activities, and..."

For a brief second, a flash of concern went through her eyes, her features softening.

"...Is anything wrong?"

_Wow. She's actually worried. Just a bit, but she's worried._

I took the time to compose myself, because I knew I must have looked worried. I _was_ worried. I couldn't tell her about it, of course.

But really, what _could_ I tell her? "Oh Haruhi, remember when I took you to lunch and told you about Espers and Aliens and Time Travelers? They're real...along with Vampires, Ghosts, Half-Ghosts, Time-Stopping Maids, Witches, Flying Mikos, Youkai, Fairies, Nekomatas, Kyuubi's, Demons, Yuki-Onnas, Phantoms, Magicians, and Lesser Devils. And they are all hidden away in a section of Japan, away from our world that no longer accepts them." Yeah, that would go over great with her, along with the rest of the brigade. Seriously, thinking about Koizumi's reaction to saying all that would possibly be interesting.

Also, that's a long list.

_What is up with me, though? What was up with that daydream? Remilia and Meiling fighting it out with one another? What is wrong with me? Why am I having these flashes of events? Am I really missing them that much? But something like this can't be normal at all. It's been affecting me. _Haruhi was right. It was noticeable. It wasn't like I wasn't getting enough sleep or anything, but I was spacing out. As I sat there and thought about it, how it was for me for the past week and a half, sometimes those daydreams would force their way into my consciousness, and I would space out.

It didn't always concern just the members of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. There were other memories as well. Ones of Reimu, Marisa, and the others. Mostly just them living their lives, doing mundane things. Like Reimu sipping tea at her shrine, staring out at Gensokyo. Or Marisa hunting for mushrooms in the Forest of Magic. Or, heck, even Patchouli just reading. Those daydreams, space outs, whatever they were...well, they were interfering with my daily life.

Which is _really_ not normal at all.

Such a musing would have to be kept secret by me.

But alas, I do have to keep secrets. Because that's what makes the world go 'round, right? The people who know what's going on behind the scenes have to keep some secrets from their audience, right? Keep people in the dark. Because let's face it - if everyone knew what Haruhi was, what power she had, then it would be rather...difficult to live life normally. Knowing that your very existence is on the fingertips of a mere girl might be maddening to most people.

Because it is for me. And if I told Haruhi what was really affecting me, it would only cause bigger problems.

"No...maybe...well, maybe I'm just a little tired. It's been hot lately anyways."

That wasn't a lie on my part. The heat had been quite high as of late, more so than the past few years. Japan was going through a pretty bad heat wave. I couldn't wait for summer break to arrive.

Haruhi slowly nodded as she sipped her drink, accepting that answer. Sipping her _expensive_ drink that _I_ paid for.

One of the negatives about going out with a girl, I suppose.

"Mmmm...yeah...yeah it is, isn't it?"

_Biggest sheep of them all. Remilia was right._

Haruhi stretched in her seat, and then sighed.

"Yeah, it really is hot out there. Just be sure to drink plenty of fluids, and you should be all right."

"_Should _be?"

She ignored my quip as she continued to finish her drink. In between sips, she was staring out the window and humming Switchfoot's "Meant to Live" to herself. The rest of the Brigade also took this time to finish what was before us as well. Besides Haruhi's humming, we sat there in silence.

It was nice, actually, the five of us just sitting there, enjoying being together, out getting refreshments during a hot summer day. I had begun to cherish moments like that, because I had to. I had to take the peaceful moments and hold onto them for those precious seconds that I could. Because not only do I have to deal with Haruhi's insanity, but also the fact that there were those who wish to take her power for themselves.

I too stared out the window, wondering how I got caught up in all this - in the middle of a secret war being waged by secret societies, a war waged over two "gods".

It was like Yukari said - I simply talked to Haruhi. That got me involved with her. And in turn, I got involved in all of this.

Well, my fault, I guess, for having the guts to speak to a pretty girl.

Then again, like I've said, I would never trade this for anything else. It had gotten me involved with some interesting people...and involved with Haruhi. There was something building between us, and we were taking interest with each other.

Fine by me. Haruhi's a beautiful young woman. And yes, I've said it before, she's bossy, and at times unbearable, but there is a human being under all that. A wonderful human being. I keep on finding myself thinking of her...normally, I mean.

At that time however, I found myself again thinking of Remilia, Meiling, and everyone else. Why were my thoughts with them? Why did I keep thinking about Gensokyo? It was nice to think of them again, but the thoughts were invading my life.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, my focus on the bit of pain I was inflicting on myself, trying to get that memory out of my mind.

_Why? Why is this happening?_

* * *

We had gathered outside of the restaurant, saying our goodbyes (and Haruhi giving me a kiss on the cheek, (which I didn't mind at all). She looked me in the eyes, that slight worried expression back there.

"You sure you okay?"

"Yeah...yeah...it just has to be the heat."

_Maybe I'm just really tired. Maybe the heat really is getting to me. It's hot in my house - my dad is still attempting to fix the air conditioner. And of course, the air conditioning in our school just plain sucks. Maybe that's it. Just the heated air. _

Wishful thinking on my part. That's all I have to hold onto at times.

Haruhi gave me a nod and a slight smile that I had come to look forward to. _She makes me want to pull my hair out, but damn it, that smile makes it all worth it_. Everyone but me and the interface went their separate ways. We stood there for a while, and I turned to leave, but Nagato still stood there, looking up at me.

"Hmm? Nagato, what's wrong?"

She kept her silent stare, her eyes narrowing a bit. I knew this reaction of hers - she was searching for the words to use.

"I do not know. While the heat wave might affect you, it should not affect you to the levels of what you are experiencing right now. Your mind is preoccupied with other things. If I may ask what-"

I cut her off, even though it pained me to do so.

"Nagato..."

I took a deep breath, this tightening in my chest forming.

Nagato. The person whom I trust the most in the Brigade...and I had to keep things from her too.

Thing is, why? Why did I feel the need to keep Gensokyo a secret? It was weird. Maybe because, for once, it was a secret just for me?

Besides, didn't Yukari say so? Their respective organizations know about Gensokyo, but they never told my friends. So...what? That must mean that there is a reason why they don't know. _Why_ they shouldn't know, right?

_Thing is, I can't keep it a secret forever. I'll have to tell her. Me keeping this is only giving me more and more stress. And what would be the consequences of telling her this? Why shouldn't someone else know? Why shouldn't Nagato know? She's saved my useless hide...the least I can do is trust her with this. She can keep a secret._

_Then again, I did ask her if there was an afterlife, and she couldn't tell me. "Classified Information". And I know that Hakugyokorou exists. She could not tell me, so she has secrets to keep from me._

Something struck me - a feeling. Like I was fed up with the situation. Fed up with the lies we tell and the truths we keep. Especially with those closest to us.

I stared into the eyes of Nagato. She just blinked, awaiting my answer.

I had to answer her.

_Screw it. I hate this classified information bull. I hate all these secrets. I'm tired of them._ _Besides, I betrayed their trust when I told the residents of the Scarlet Devil Mansion all about them. I at least owe my Brigade associates that much._

_And at the very least, I owe Nagato the truth. I owe her so much._

And on the selfish side of things, maybe she'd be able to do something about the bombardment of memories I was having.

_I should have done this after the third day. I should have told her. Maybe she could have done something about it by now._

Why, however, did I not tell her, or anybody for that matter? Maybe because I really _am_ an idiot clinging to the idea that this wasn't something major. I should know better than to have such hope. It would be as if I had been injured, and not gone to the doctor because I convinced myself I wasn't injured, even though I was clearly in pain. Even the people around me started to notice that "pain". I needed to stop being that idiot, because my "pain" hadn't gone away.

Above all else, that would be enough to tell her.

I decided it right then and there. I'd tell Nagato, only her for the time being. Not Koizumi or Asahina. Just Nagato. It would make me the most comfortable, actually.

However, the thought that she would feel extreme betrayal crossed my mind. Still...I owed her.

Enough musing.

"...Nagato...there is actually something I need to tell you. But not right now. Later. Maybe...maybe at your home tonight."

I wouldn't feel comfortable saying it out in the open like that, and doing such an explanation in her home would be for the best, and again, make me more comfortable in doing so. A small relieved look washed over her face, miniscule, but noticeable by me.

"I see. It concerns Haruhi Suzumiya?"

"Yeah. It concerns Haruhi."

_In a way you won't believe._

I continued.

"Nagato, I'm sorry for keeping it from you, actually, but I will tell you tonight. I..." I stared into her eyes, looking for some sort of understanding of the situation, even if she was in the dark. Of course, Nagato really didn't have much facial expressions, making it hard to read her. However, due to the time I've spent with her, I've noticed her have slight tells. Nagato appeared to be searching my face for anything - reading any of my reactions. Intently, well, for Nagato anyway. "...I'm just a little afraid you wouldn't believe me. You see, it happened in January, actually."

Her eyes widened a bit as I confirmed what she must have been thinking.

"Yeah..._that_. You noticed it, didn't you? I'm sorry for keeping it from you for so long, but...I'll tell you what it is tonight, okay?" I moved near her. "It'll be worth it, okay, Nagato? You might get mad at me for this...so, tell you what...let's go to the library for now, okay? Let's get some books for you?"

It was my way of attempting to bribe Nagato, I guess. The only thing I could think of at that point in time, you know, to soften the blow of that betrayal.

Nagato slowly nodded, seemingly satisfied, and seemingly accepting my bribe.

"Very well."

* * *

The trip to the library was uneventful. Thankfully, I had no more flashes of memories or daydreams of Gensokyo. As Nagato disappeared into the stacks, I made my way to one of the seats, hoping I could find one that was directly under one of the air conditioner vents that were on full blast, silently and selfishly cursing the fact that the library was cooler than the freaking classrooms. I passed by a gathering of book carts, and casually glanced in their direction.

What I saw caught my eye, and made me stop.

_Oh man..._

On one of the book carts, there it lay, all by itself on the top. Its title called out to me.

Kunio Yanagita's "Tono Monogatari".

Kunio Yanagita - the father of Japanese Folk Legends. He wrote about Mayohiga in this work. As if in automated response, I brought out my nekomata figure, clenching it in my hand.

In my mind, I went back to that snow covered empty village, standing there with Reimu and Sakuya. At the time, I had thought hard to remember the lines: _"The Mysterious Mansion, 'Mayohiga.' Inside are various utensils and livestock. It is said that everyone who has taken one home was always soon after blessed with great happiness."_ We had explored the village after Reimu defeated one of Yukari Yakumo's servants, Chen, and found the houses to contain a load of figurines, including my nekomata figure.I smiled as I recalled Reimu's interest in acquiring a charm for herself.

_I just can't stop thinking about Gensokyo today, can I?_ I didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"-young man?"

I shook as I brought myself out of that thought. An elderly woman, who was near the cart was staring at me with her violet eyes. I don't think I had ever seen her before in that library.

"Excuse me?"

"I said are you interested in that book, young man?"

I glanced back at the book, and then turned back to her.

"Uh, yeah. Why not?"

She smiled a sweet smile that you'd expect grandmothers to give you. The kind that puts you at ease.

"Well, if you would like to read it, by all means go ahead. It's already been checked in, and I was about to shelve it. But books are meant to be read, young man. So, please. Give it its purpose."

Her smile became a sad smile as I picked up the book.

"Yes, not too many people read that any more. Nobody is interested in the folk tales of yesteryear. The youkai live on in those tales...and _because_ of those tales. Those stories were lucky to be recorded into that book. Who knows how many more were lost over time. Countless youkai lost because they were forgotten..."

She said that with a far away look in those violet eyes. She then gave me another smile, and pushed the cart.

I stared after her. There was something familiar about her eyes. I couldn't place it. It shouldn't have bothered me, as she appeared to be just a stereotypical elderly librarian. It was weird that it did bother me.

Also, what was up with that speech? Youkai forgotten?

I just inwardly shrugged as I carried the book, sat down at a desk, and began to read.

* * *

Man this book. I had forgotten how haphazard the book was written. Kunio had sat down with a story teller and recorded whatever stories were told, without rhyme or reason. There was no structure to it all - whatever story came into the mind of the orator, it was put down. Kami's, Tengu, Kappa, and the like; some of the stories were violent, others were short and simple, without much to them. I yawned as I checked my watch.

_Man, where is Nagato? The sun is setting by now._

I was tired a while before, but being in the library actually woke me up, if you can believe that. _Ah well. I'll have a nice long sleep tonight...after playing some more Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, and that meeting with Nagato._

I was _really_ looking forward to playing that, actually. Maybe I'd swing by my house and bring the Gamecube with me to Nagato's to play that with her...before or after I tell her? I don't know. That would be interesting, actually, to have Nagato assist me in my journey to Hyrule. Or my other Brigade associates. I doubted that Asahina was a gamer, but there was a chance Koizumi was.

It might be good for us. The four of us who deal with Haruhi gather and blow off some steam playing a game together. Of course we could talk business of keeping Haruhi stable, but while doing something fun. Not that the usual shogi isn't fun, but it would be nice to do something all together, you know? All four of us.

Also, with Nagato playing alongside us, we couldn't lose. Day of Sagittarius was a cakewalk for her.

Speaking of the alien human interface, I looked around, and didn't see Nagato.

"Nagato?"

Where did she go? I checked my watch again, even though I just checked it a second ago. _Damn it, Nagato, where are you? _Getting up from my seat, I made my way around the library, looking for my fellow Brigade associate.

"Nagato?"

No response, not even after going through the library twice.

For a brief second, I thought Nagato was playing hide and seek with me, but then I laughed at myself for even thinking such a thing. I kept going through the stacks for a third time, slowly checking each aisle, but picking up speed. Soon, the aisles were a blur to me as I quickly checked. I kept going...going...

_Wait, did the library just get bigger? Also, when did it get darker? _I glanced up, and for some reason, my mind made the connection that the shelves looked different - the wooden shelves were ornate. It was unnervingly familiar. Even the wallpaper...hell, everything looked different.

I didn't pay it much mind, as I had to find Nagato. I brought out my cell phone, and began to dial her number, only to see that I had no bars.

_Okay, this is getting weird._

The next aisle, I heard movement. I turned the corner, and saw a girl up on a step ladder, shelving books.

_Maybe another pair of eyes will help out here._

"Uhm, excuse me, could you help me-"

My mind caught up to me. I _must_ be dense. _She has wings on the back of her head and back...bat wings. That familiar black dress. That long red hair._ That, and I began to recognize where I was. I wasn't at the library I was at just a few seconds ago.

Stunned, I stared at the girl, who in response to my voice, turned to me. It took me a second to recognize her. The Assistant Librarian...

_Koakuma?_

On her face, at first, utter confusion, but then happiness.

"Kyon?"

She jumped off the stepladder and then quickly embraced me.

"Kyon!"

"Ah...ah...Koakuma?"

While I was happy to see the summoned little devil again, my mind shouted at me some very important information: _Hello idiot! This shouldn't be happening! This shouldn't be possible!_

Months later, Marisa was still right. I am _dense._

I suppose it was the same for Koakuma, because she backed up after a while, and stared at me, confused again.

"Kyon...what are you doing back...?"

The look on my face must told her the story. I did not know why I was in this library. The library of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Which was located in Gensokyo.

I was back in Gensokyo.

How in the hell did I get back? It wasn't some grand event that brought me back either. One second, I'm in the public library, looking for Nagato, and the next, I find myself in Gensokyo. There was no grand transition, no warp. Just...a seamless "cut" into it, like some really bad editing in a "B" movie.

Koakuma continued despite my musings.

"Kyon, you didn't...why are you here?"

I searched her unnatural eyes, looking for..._something_. Anything. Because reality was, I had nothing. No rhyme or reason to why or how I got there.

"I'd like to know that too. You're asking the wrong person...though...though at least I didn't go through a world of eyes."

True. My mind went back to when I was there. The portal world of eyes, caused by Yukari Yakumo, the youkai demon of gaps and boundaries. She brought me into Gensokyo back in January.

I didn't go through such a thing this time.

Koakuma gave me another smile.

"Yes...Yukari has been busy as of late, I think. But I thought she didn't want you to come back?"

"That's what she said. She couldn't have brought me back, but..."

I trailed, unable to finish that sentence, unable to think clearly. I was a stunned by this turn of events. It's not every day one gets transported from one part of your country to another in a flash of a second, mind you. Much less into an "alternate world" part of the country. The SDM's Assistant Librarian showed genuine happiness that I was there. I smiled at her.

"Either way, Koakuma, its good to be back."

_Is it? Is it good to be back? I mean, if Haruhi finds that I'm gone...well, all we have to do is find Yukari, and she'll bring me back to the exact time that I left. No biggie, right? Right?_

Then again, I'm counting on it being that simple.

Nothing is ever simple for me. Even when it's supposed to be.

"Ah, but Lady Patchouli will be thrilled to see you again! Everyone will!"

Grabbing me by the hand, Koakuma led me through the maze that was the library. Eventually we came to the central area, the one with the large table where the Magician Librarian of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, Patchouli Knowledge, sat at, reading a very big tome. She sipped her tea, obviously engrossed by what she was reading, and didn't hear us approaching. A fairy maid was there, and when she saw me, she took off. _Guess that maid-gossip rumor mill is about to start._

I couldn't help but smile when I saw Patchouli. I wanted to get home, but I figured that saying hello couldn't hurt, at least.

For a brief second, I considered sneaking up on her, placing my hands over her eyes, and saying "Guess who?" But considering that she might get startled and blow me to ash with some sort of spell in response...

Yeah, that would go over great on my tombstone. "Born an idiot. Died an idiot."

"Lady Patchouli!" squealed Koakuma. "You'll never believe who I found in here!"

She didn't even look up, a grimace forming on the Librarian's face.

"Bah...Marisa. Back to steal my books again."

The Librarian glanced up, stared at me for a second, then went back reading. I could see the gears in her head turning. Her brow furrowed, and she did a double take. Patchouli's eyes widened as she realized that I was really there. Also, "Back to steal her books again?" I guess Marisa was still up to no good.

_Marisa..._

_Damn it. Not now._

"By God...Kyon?"

Patchouli stood up from her chair, still wide-eyed, and made her way to me. She stopped before me, and slowly placed her hand on my arm, as if to physically ensure that I was really there.

"...Kyon...you really _are_ here! Why...?"

The librarian turned to Koakuma, almost as if looking for some sort of explanation. The little devil girl gave a slight shrug.

"I don't know, Lady Patchouli. I was shelving books, and there he was. Just out of nowhere."

Patchouli turned to me again, a bewildered look on her face.

"Uh...hi," I said.

Patchouli stood there, blinking, apparently unsure of how to go about this. Eventually she did speak.

"I can't believe it. You're back. But...Yukari said..."

"Yeah I know. She said she wouldn't bring me back, and I don't think she did." I rubbed the back of my neck. "Uhm, you wouldn't have happened to be the ones to have teleported me in here, would you?"

Patchouli shook her head as she motioned for me to sit down.

"No. No we weren't. We know that we shouldn't interfere with your events, although..." Patchouli tapped a finger on her chin, her brow furrowing. "...although I wouldn't put it past Remi to do something like this on a whim. She's been..." The Librarian paused and pursed her lips. "She's been kind of depressed lately."

"Why?"

"There...there was another incident, and she got beaten again by Reimu. We didn't cause it, but Reimu still invaded our..." A smile came over Patchouli's face. "I'm sorry. I didn't greet you back, did I? It's rude of me."

"It's okay, Patchouli."

"Welcome back, Kyon."

_An incident? One where Remilia got defeated by Reimu again? What happened?_

"Kid!'

I couldn't dwell on that thought. The Scarlet Devil Mansion's Chief Guard, Hong Meiling stood there in the doorway, grinning. There were a few of the fairy maids I had talked to during my visit, all apparently glad to see me as well, along with a crowd of maids and guards who stopped by to see what was going on. I stood up as Meiling made her way to me, around the table. Still smiling, she was about to hug me, I guess, but she never got the chance to.

Her eyes widened in response to something behind me, and she quickly stepped away.

I would find out why in about a second.

_"Kyoooooon!~"_

Chills went down my spine as I realized whose voice that was. I turned, to see the little girl in a red dress and those wacky wings in midair as she was pouncing me - Flandre Scarlet. Remilia's certifiably insane little sister.

_Ah crap._

I didn't even have time to let out a sound, as she tackled me to the ground, hugging me. The wind was knocked out of my body as I slammed onto the floor - I found myself being grateful that the carpet was so soft and plush. Flandre's vise-like grip around my body made some loud pops and creaks in my bones. Memories of her crushing Alice's doll into dust bare-handed popped into my brain. I hoped I wouldn't be popping there.

"Kyon! Kyon I _missed_ you!"

"Augh!" I struggled to speak. "Flan! Good to...see you too!"

Although my body didn't like her welcome, I was kind of glad to see this little vampire again. I knew then how Marisa felt that one time.

_Her. Can't stop...thinking about her..._

"Flan. Flan. You're going to break the poor boy apart. And he just got back."

I instantly recognized that voice. As Flandre released me, I got up as quickly as I could with Meiling helping me to my feet. I was eager to see her, the other vampire.

The Mistress of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. The Scarlet Devil. Remilia Scarlet.

She stood there at the entrance of the Library, smiling. There was genuine happiness in her eyes. And Sakuya! Sakuya was with her! Remilia slowly shook her head.

"Well well well. The prodigal son returns."

Grinning, I made my way around the table, stopping before Remilia and her maid. Sakuya kept her face as, well, I suppose "normal", like she was wearing her usual mask of servitude. Remilia turned to her maid.

"Sakuya, it's all right. No need to hold yourself back. By all means, go ahead."

Letting her emotions show, Sakuya rushed forward and hugged me.

"Ah Kyon. So good to see you again."

"Same here. Same here."

It started to hit me. How much I _really_ missed everyone in Gensokyo. Especially Sakuya. The two of us were together pretty much all day that day we spent solving the incident where the spring of Gensokyo was stolen. You can't go through something like that together and not form a bond, right? She watched out for me, and I watched out for her.

"We've seen everything," said Sakuya, "Everything the Brigade went through. It's all true. It's all the little girl. And those people..."

She trailed off, staring into my eyes. I think I knew who she was referencing, those that tried to take away Haruhi's power for their own "God", about what happened a few months ago.

Kuyou, Fujiwara, Haruhi and I in that closed space...even now I don't want to think about it.

But..._seen_? I had to let that go.

"I'm so glad you're willing to fight for her."

Sakuya embraced me tighter for a second before releasing and taking a step back. Remilia then stepped forward, and the two of us locked eyes.

This little vampire. This eternally young twelve year old who is over 500 years old. It felt like an eternity of us just staring into each others eyes. I don't know exactly how long it was, but it was long enough. A smile crept on her face, as one on mine did as well.

I bowed before her. I felt like being over-the-top dramatic.

"Mistress Scarlet."

Grinning, Remilia hugged me.

"Ah, Kyon. That's quite the life you led for the past year and a half. Sakuya said it - we've seen it, thanks to Yukari."

Remilia rubbed her chin, her bright mood replaced with a puzzled look.

"While it is good to see you..._you aren't supposed to be here_. That's a mystery in and of itself, isn't it? I suppose you'd like for us to get you out of here, and get Yukari."

"Well, yeah, that's the idea."

Remilia looked mock offended. She pouted her lips.

"Oh, just got here and already wanting to leave? Are we _really_ that repulsive to your senses?"

"No, just only when you drink my blood."

I said that without even thinking of it, even if it was true.

Remilia blinked a few times, before grinning.

"Ah, yes...well, that goes without saying." Remilia motioned for me to sit down at the table. "Come! Sit down and let's talk! Maybe we can get you something to eat before we get into the business of getting you back..." Remilia stroked her chin as she stared up into the darkness the high ceiling afforded the library. "Yes...Yukari... I can't believe she brought you back."

"She didn't, actually."

Remilia raised an eyebrow.

"Come again?"

"I was in a library in my world, and was walking through the aisles, and ended up here pretty much seamlessly. No portals, no gaps, no nothing. I just ended up here."

Before Remilia could respond, Flandre spoke up.

"Somebody is in here." Flandre said that out of nowhere, staring into a direction. I saw her flare her nostrils. "...and it's...different. It smells somewhat like a human...but it's not. It's not a youkai...but..."

Meiling got in front of the little Scarlet as if to shield her, the guard's body tensing.

"How...how did they get in?"

Remilia stepped next to her sister, narrowing her eyes in that same direction.

"Meiling. Sakuya. Go."

The maid and the chief guard moved quickly, Sakuya already drawing out her knives. Sakuya had kept on the ground, while Meiling had jumped to the top of the book cases, and was leaping from book case to book case. I noticed Koakuma move near Patchouli.

"Oh," sighed Koakuma. "I hope Miss Konpaku and Miss Saigyouji are all right."

I couldn't believe what I heard.

"What? Why?"

"They're in here, too. They needed a book, and we allowed them to look for it."

_Oh wow. I'm going to get to see the two ghosts again!_ However, I was also scared, because the SDM had an intruder in the house.

Then again, why was I scared? I had two vampires in front of me, a magician and her summoned devil to my side, and Meiling and Sakuya out there looking for however the intruder was. If anything, I should feel _sorry_ for the intruder. Especially since Flandre was there.

Sakuya had rounded a corner, readying her knife, but then she seemed to reel back in surprise at what she saw. She shot us an...an almost bewildered glance, before backing away. Meiling, on top of the bookcase that overlooked that aisle, seemed to do the same.

"Meiling! Sakuya! Who is it?" Remilia then paused, and I saw her nostrils flare. "...what in the world is _that_? I've never sensed anything like this. It has a heartbeat, but it's different. No. Wait. I _have_ sensed this before. But only when I was with Yukar-"

Through one of the gaps in the bookcases, I saw her. I saw who it was in a brief microsecond, as did Remilia. She paused, before speaking.

"...Yuki Nagato?"

* * *

-login-

-please enter password and interface name-

-Nagato Yuki

-access granted-

-download detected-

-downloading files-

-download complete-

-data packet received-

-"hiede" iso file

-decompressing files-

-received:-

-"gensokyodata" text file-

-"gensokyohistory" text file-

-image folder "gensokyo" file count: 891-

-**CLASSIFIED FILE** [ADMIN 612]-

-video folder "springsnowincident" file count: 99-

-**CLASSIFIED FILE** [ADMIN 612]-

-**CLASSIFIED FOLDER** [ADMIN 612] file count: 189-

-reading-

-please hold-

-finished-

-downloading orders-

-orders received-

-personal entry-

-This individual entity would like to express "gratitude" over the sharing of information regarding Gensokyo. Personal Opinion: level of security surrounding this data suggests that the entity leaders have faith in me, and again, I express gratitude. Due to this individual entity's "malfunction" this past winter and the resulting notion of deletion, I, Nagato Yuki, express honor at the chance to gain favor with the leaders once more.

- Objectives received and understood.

-Will update the databanks with quick profiles of entity encounters in Gensokyo.

-Will acquire samples of various energy signals, magic, and anything else this entity deems necessary for the databanks.

-Will observe various entities of Gensokyo.

-Will attempt to further confirm the notion the Data Society has that Gensokyo is a product of Haruhi Suzumiya.

-[REDACTED - ADMIN NUMBER 612]

- Will take note with brief descriptions of the various locations in Gensokyo.

-UPDATE: Will study "Danmaku", and record any data acquired surrounding it.

-Will attempt to engage in Danmaku, if possible, for first hand experience and data.

-UPDATE: Personal comment-

-This individual entity expresses confusion over the redaction of the fifth objective in the records.

-Inquiry:

-Requesting an explanation, if one can be given.

-ADMIN UPDATE-

-Will be given in person. There is to be no record of the explanation.

-File upload detected from Admin 612:

-UPDATE-

-Displaying file:

* * *

**"Spring Snow Incident"**

**- During the month of March and April, it appeared that there was a late winter occuring. The truth was far from it. Due to circumstances arising from interference by the Sky Canopy Domain, spring was not coming to Gensokyo. [NAME REDACTED] "Kyon" got involved and brought to Gensokyo, and he participated in this incident. Reimu Hakurei, Marisa Kirisame, Sakuya Izayoi, and [NAME REDACTED] "Kyon" all ventured out to find the cause of the late winter. After a brief investigation, and coming across Alice Margatroid, the four made their way to the afterlife realm for artists - Hakugyokorou, which had gathered the spring of Gensokyo. Defeating the Prismriver sisters Lunasa, Merlin, and Lyrica, the four then entered, taking on the gardener of the realm, Youmu Konpaku. It was there that the group learned of the threat contained within Hakugyokorou - the youkai tree Saigyou Ayakashi. The group then encountered, and defeated, the mistress of the realm: Yuyuko Saigyouji, where they returned spring.**

**-[PARAGRAPH REDACTED]**

**==RESOLVED==**

**-File Catelogued by Emiri Kimidori.**

**-end file-**

* * *

-File received and read.

-Inquiry:

-Why wasn't I informed of this?

-Admin 612 Response:

-Data Entity YUKI NAGATO did not need to know of the events that transpired.

-N. Yuki

-end entry-

-logoff-

* * *

**So, Cirno, I have to congradulate you.**

**Cirno: Really? On what?**

**On you getting into Touhou 14. Granted, you are a stage 1 midboss, but you're still as popular as ever!** **Oh, right. I also have something to tell you about this fan fiction. The views are OVER NINE THOUSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND!**

**Cirno: WHAT?! Nine Thousand? There's no way that can be-**

**Yukari: Stop right there!**

**Gasp! Yukari! What are you doing here?**

**Yukari: Ending that 9,000 meme before you can go any further with it! **

***train***


	15. PN Episode 2 Imposed

**You may think Touhou Project isn't that big, but it is. Blizzard paid homage to it in a game called World of Warcraft. You might have heard of it. :) Anyway, in Loch Modan, you can get a quest called "A Tiny, Clever Commander", where you have to slay a Kobold named "Commander Nazrim". "Nazrin" is the name of a mouse youkai who is a boss in Touhou 12: Unidentified Fantastic Object. The name of her theme is "A Tiny, Clever Commander".**

**Just a little trivia.**

**Gensokyo will welcome the S.O.S. Brigade.**

**And welcome back to you too, people! It's great to be back!**

**I never knew that about L space, yomanyo, until I Googled it. Interesting concept. Something you'd expect from a place like Gensokyo. Too bad I didn't know about it before the story.**

**The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is owned by Nagaru Tanigawa. Touhou Project is owned by ZUN and Team Shanghai Alice. I own neither. This is a fan fiction of those works.**

**Beta Readers for this Episode:**

**Another Duck**

**werewolf2005**

* * *

She came from the stacks of bookcases, a few rows down from the Library's central table. All of us watched as she took the steps into view and turned to face us, although her eyes were on Sakuya.

_Oh my God. It's Nagato._

The S.O.S. Brigade's resident alien/data entity, Yuki Nagato, was standing, down one of the aisles of the bookcases, staring down Sakuya. The maid's arms lowered, but she still had her knives. Sakuya glanced at us, still unsure of what to say or do.

"Meiling...Sakuya..." Remilia said softly. "...stand down."

The two did as such, Sakuya slowly sheathing her knives and Meiling casually jumping down off of the book case, as much as anyone can casually jump off of a book case I suppose. With Sakuya no longer armed, and apparently no longer a threat, Nagato then turned to us. Everyone was silent. On the faces of everyone, there was an uneasiness, an unsure look on how to proceed.

Nagato was staring at the whole scene before her. The residents of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, who were all paranormal, and myself. Her small unsure look told the tale - she didn't know what to make of this. Again, I inwardly cursed her superiors for keeping information from her. She obviously did not know of Gensokyo.

Then again, I had to curse at myself for not sharing the knowledge of Gensokyo's existence with her. Even though she had an idea that something happened back in January, and I never told her - never got to tell her.

I _was_ going to tell her that night, but instead we both ended up in Gensokyo. Just my luck, right? _You know what, that little nekomata figurine doesn't do a damn thing. So much for bringing good luck._

I had to come up with something, however. There I was, standing in the middle of a group of rather unusual people, leaving Nagato to wonder what was going on.

Remilia stepped forward, before I could say anything, a smirk forming on her face.

"You look familiar. Let me guess...Nagato Yuki, correct?"

Nagato simply gave a small nod to the vampire. Patchouli's eyebrows rose as she smiled. She took a few steps toward Nagato before bowing a bit.

"Ah, Nagato. Pleasure to meet you. I've been told we have a lot in common."

_What the hell is Nagato doing here? Why is she in Gensokyo as well?_

The way Nagato was staring at me...I knew right then and there I had a lot of explaining to do.

_Nagato...please forgive me._

And then from around the corner, near Nagato, came Yuyuko Saigyouji and Youmu Konpaku. Yuyuko's eyes widened when she saw me.

"Ah...so, Nagato isn't the only one to appear before me today. Kyon is here as well."

When it rains, it pours.

_What the heck is going on?!_

* * *

**Perishable Night**

**Episode 2**

**["Imposed"]**

* * *

**"**_**In this place there are a lot of youkai. It doesn't matter if it's night or day, one can't be at ease. Such is this place.**_

_**If something were to attack you, there would be no one to help you. If you can't protect yourself with your own power, it's better to not be alone here.**_

_**What's more, walking outside during the night of the full moon is suicide.**_

_**Such is this place.**_

_**If you're going you live here by yourself, only you can protect yourself."**_

**-Reimu Hakurei, to Marisa Kirisame, from the Doujin "An Old Secret Diary", by: KokonoCoco**

* * *

Yuyuko and Youmu were indeed researching something in the Library, and were among the aisles of bookcases, when Nagato appeared before them. The two ghosts, not knowing what to make of the situation, went right to the center of the library to see Patchouli about that event, which brought them to see me there.

Suffice to say, they were surprised to meet two S.O.S. Brigade members.

We all exchanged greetings and pleasantries before we got to the pressing issue. While it was good to see the two ghosts, I was thankful that they knew the importance of giving an explanation to Nagato, since she was in a new situation.

However, I wasn't thankful that the Gensokyo girls took control of the conversation. I didn't have a chance to get much in edge-wise.

I was worried that Nagato would react defensively, especially against Sakuya when she had her knives out. Thankfully, Nagato didn't. Unthankfully, however, she was rather quiet - even more so than she should have been in that situation.

That being said, I think Myon, Youmu's ghost half, was really excited to see me. It twirled around me a few times. When it rubbed up against me, I shot Youmu a raised eyebrow; to which she blushed in response. _Did she just feel me up with Myon?_ _I got felt up by a ghost. Interesting._

Nagato, besides giving her name to everyone, and confirming some facts, was silent throughout it all. She declined to sit down, and stood there at the end of the table, where Patchouli, Remilia, Yuyuko, and I sat around.

Just like the last time I was there, we had one long hour of explaining what was going on; however, this time it was all for Nagato to catch up to speed. During it, some of the fairy maids I became accustomed to during my previous stay all said hello to me every now and then, before going back to work. Youmu, Yuyuko, Sakuya, Koakuma, Patchouli, Flandre, and Remilia stayed, all of them explaining things, asking Nagato some questions, all that.

As time went on, I noticed that Nagato had not looked in my direction at all.

She had to feel betrayed. Frankly, I wouldn't blame her. I'd be pissed off with myself if I was in her position. She _must_ have felt betrayed for me keeping a secret this big. Also, for her to give me the "silent, and not even looking at you" treatment did hurt a lot. But I guess it was refreshing for Nagato to know that kind of social response. It hurt, to tell the truth, but I had it coming.

The conversation went from filling in Nagato on what was going on, to some of the exploits that the S.O.S. Brigade experienced. When the Mistress of the Mansion eventually got around to the Endless Summer, Remilia sat there, rubbing her chin.

"So, in total, it was about 595 years worth of time in that Endless Summer then, correct? More than enough time to attain a 'youkai' status, I gather. And thus are older than me as a result. Very interesting, Miss Nagato. Interesting indeed."

_Would Nagato attain a youkai status? Is it possible for a data entity to become a youkai?_ Those were good questions...that I never get an answer to.

Yet, technically, isn't Nagato one? Wouldn't she be a youkai? She's paranormal, in the definition of the word. Then again, the youkai I know of eat people, so Nagato can't be one, right?

Right?

That's just silly. Nagato eating people. Back to Remilia's musings.

"Thankfully it happened a month after my Scarlet Mist, and not during that time." Remilia leaned back in her chair. "If it did, I would have possibly been beaten..." Remilia tapped her finger on her chin, thinking. "...well over 15,000 times, I suppose. I doubt I could take that."

Patchouli let out a chuckle after taking a sip of tea. "Though I suppose it means that the Black-White would have stolen from us a total of 1,258,092 times. I lost eighty-one books in that time period."

I just shot Patchouli a worried glance for coming up with such a number. And she came up with it quick - quicker than I could have done even when armed with a calculator. Patchouli really _is_ smart.

Also, 81 books over that time period? That's a lot. Marisa was doing a lot of thieving...

Marisa...

_Marisa..._

_Damn it. There I go again thinking about her._

Remilia thoughtfully swirled her wine glass of blood, doing the math, I suppose.

"Hmmmm...that...yes, that seems about right. Though the question is why did you do the math on that? That's scary, Patchi. Look. Even Kyon and Yuyuko think so."

I noticed that Yuyuko had a raised eyebrow, apparently unnerved by that number as well.

"That _is_ a lot, Miss Patchouli. Why do you allow her to steal so many from you?"

"For one thing, she's _fast_. Faster than Meiling or any of our guards."

I had to cut into this conversation. They were talking of Marisa again, and it was filling my head with thoughts of her.

I couldn't afford to dwell on her. Over the prior seven months, it's been difficult to not think of her. I mean, yeah, I thought of her when I thought of the time in Gensokyo, but not...not in the way of being with her, you know? I had come to terms that I would never see her again, and here I was, back where I could. It would essentially undo my personal progress. Not fair, you know? Then again, I had come to terms of never coming back to Gensokyo again as well, so there you go.

"I do have a question, Patchouli...Yuyuko... Sorry for butting in, but...I just need to know. You see...since the third of this month..." Everyone went silent, turning to me. I took a deep breath, and glanced over at Nagato. "I'm sorry, Nagato, this is actually what I was going to talk to you about. I'm sorry. But since the third of this month, I've been having these vivid...I guess 'visions', if you could call them that."

I told them the 'dreams' I'd been having, barring the Meiling one, of course. I didn't know if Remilia would have liked it to come out (or Meiling, for that matter). I told them how it went into such detail, where they were so vivid that it felt like I was actually there. When I told of the time I dreamt of Patchouli meeting Remilia, the vampire's jaw dropped, and she was wide-eyed.

"Good Lord. We've _never_ told anyone about that. How were you able to know such details?"

_Interesting that a vampire just said "Good Lord."_

"It was in a dream." I turned to Nagato. "I should have told you, Nagato. I'm just...I'm just an idiot."

Patchouli rubbed her chin, her brow furrowing.

"That's interesting. I've heard reports of people who managed to get out of Gensokyo still had...some sort of 'ties' to it. Dreams, thoughts, and the like, similar to what you've experienced...but the reality is, I don't trust those reports." Koakuma refilled Patchouli's cup, and the librarian took a few sips before continuing. She waved her left had around. "This is all conjecture - hearsay. I've never seen it happen firsthand myself, so I'm only relying on the rumor mill of Gensokyo. Rumors have a tendency to hold some truth here in Gensokyo, but one shouldn't rely on them." Patchouli used her hand to tap her chin, as if going over that. "However, the fact that you had accurate dreams and thoughts regarding _us_ during events that we've never told you, well, that tells me something. There might be something to those reports. Your case is unusual though, since you told us of events that didn't happen in Gensokyo. Something definitely is amiss here, and I intend to find out."

The librarian's eyes wandered over to me and Nagato.

"However, that isn't the pressing issue here, now, is it? What we need to figure out is _why_ the two of you are here. _Why and how_ two members of the famous S.O.S. Brigade are here. Let's work on that first before get to the dreams."

I did have to agree with Patchouli. If Haruhi, Koizumi, or Asahina tried to call me or Nagato, and found out we weren't out there any more, there would be trouble. Especially with Haruhi.

However...

"What do you mean famous?" I asked.

I think I already knew. She did just go over the Endless Summer. Remilia confirmed it.

"We've been watching some of your events, of course. Some of us took Yukari up on her offer to see the events of your life." Remilia chirped. She obviously enjoyed saying that.

I paused, staring at her. She just smiled back.

"You guys were _watching_ us?!"

Remilia grinned and winked. "Yes, Kyon. Also, interesting to know that you have a hidden file of Asahina pictures on the computer for your personal viewing pleasure. Then again, I can't blame you. She is a beautiful girl, and a guy your age would be insane not to like her."

I shot a glance over at Nagato, who slightly pursed her lips.

"And before your face gets any redder than it can," Remilia chided, "I'll add this: I stayed for the entire show. _Everything_. The kidnapping incident, the baseball game, Nagato freezing you and Asahina in her bedroom..._all of it_." The vampire beamed, loving the way what she was saying was making me uncomfortable.

Good to know I was still a source of amusement for her.

I had to cover my bright red face. _Did you really have to blurt out that I have pictures of Asahina on the computer at school, Remilia?! Was that really necessary?!_ I wanted to shout that out at her, but I didn't.

Patchouli thankfully kept things rolling along.

"First off, I don't think any of us brought you in here. It looks like that, since you're here in the SDM, but I know I didn't do any teleportation spells." Patchouli raised an almost accusatory eyebrow at Remilia.

Remilia slightly raised both her hands. "I did no such thing."

Too bad. I _had_ pegged her to be the one to bring me back. She said she would, after all.

After going around the table, and receiving similar answers, Patchouli frowned.

"Then this is a bit of a puzzle, isn't it? Normally when you teleport someone, you teleport them to your proximity. To teleport them elsewhere suggests an abnormal motive. In fact, this whole thing is abnormal in and of itself, even for Gensokyo. And since there were no gaps used, we can rule out that Yakumo, correct?"

"Yeah. No gaps. No realm of purple eyes."

"Then we are really at a loss," Patchouli said with an inscrutable look on her face. "This is new, and I don't like it."

"I wonder..."

We turned to Yuyuko, who said that. She looked like she was in deep thought.

"It's just that Yukari has said that Gensokyo sometimes pulls people, things, and whatnot in by itself. Yukari _does_ do a lot of spiriting away, but this land can do it automatically as well. It can reach anywhere around the world, and take things that are unwanted. I've seen it. Yukari has shown me such things." Yuyuko took a sip of tea, and then her eyes widened, as if realizing something. She raised a hand and appeared apologetic, glancing at Nagato and I, blushing a bit. "Ah, not that I think you two are unwanted. Nothing like that. Forgive me. I should have worded that better. It's just that... I think Yukari said it once. Youmu, you know what I'm talking about, right?"

"Yes, Lady Yuyuko." Standing behind the seated Yuyuko, Youmu, with her arms crossed, nodded, with her usual seriousness. "Lady Yukari has said that she has a theory that Gensokyo may be sentient itself. To some degree, of course, and might be able to act on its own 'will'. However, as I do not hail from Gensokyo, I do not know if such a thing is true."

"But we also can't discount that in this world, anything is possible, right?" I asked.

After all, that's what I'm constantly told.

Yuyuko smiled. "Ah, yes. So very true."

A grandfather clock rung, signaling it was six.

"Ah. Of course." Remilia stood up and clasped her hands. "While I am beyond thrilled to have two members of the S.O.S. Brigade here in my home, I have business to attend to. I need to see to the finalization of the construction of my mansion."

"That's still going on?"

Well, for me it's been seven months. For them, it's been, what, three? This time travel stuff can really mess with one's sense of time.

"The Kappa is almost finished, and she has made a lot of improvements. I now have electrical wiring across my mansion, and some other niceties. It's going to be a lot better, Kyon."

"And we must be getting back." Yuyuko stood up and bowed. "It shall be dark soon.""

As everyone got up, I moved over to Nagato.

"Nagato...you going to be okay?"

She still wouldn't look at me. She had averted her eyes from my general direction.

_I can't say "I'm sorry" enough times to her._

* * *

For some reason, I found myself going with Sakuya to the Human Village to pick up supplies. Nagato went with us, although she wouldn't look at me. I tried explaining myself to her, but it appeared she didn't want me to explain anything.

I know that doesn't sound like her, but that's the best way I can put it.

Since I wasn't getting anywhere with that (and I decided I needed to give Nagato some time), I spent the time catching up with Sakuya. It was as if we picked right up where we left off. I felt so at ease with her.

I had found out that Sakuya hadn't been up to much since April, (other than her regular maid duties and training the new fairy maids). She had also made an acquaintance with Alice, the puppeteer. Alice apparently goes to the SDM's library on a regular basis now.

But I didn't get the chance to tell Sakuya how my life went since leaving. Sadly, I found out that she had watched all of my exploits at the request of Remilia, so she already knew. While the maid didn't rib me on anything, she did ask me if I was really going to smack Haruhi when she was bullying Asahina during the movie shoot.

You know what? That's not fair. Not fair at all. My cheeks reddened over that.

"That wasn't my proudest moment."

"So..." Sakuya slowed her walk, tilting her head. "Were you going to?"

I came to a stop, my head lowered. I was _very_ uncomfortable in speaking about that.

I mean, I don't think people should lay their hands on a woman, unless it's in a romantic way. I told her as such.

"I just...I just lost control for a second. You've ever had it happen to you? You just get so angry you do something that you end up not being proud of?"

Sakuya nodded, the corner of her mouth grimacing.

"Yeah. That's why I got my ribs broken by Reimu." Sakuya glanced at Nagato, and then at me. "I...I guess I understand. It was just horrific watching you almost do that, even though...I thought she somewhat deserved it."

_I'm uncomfortable looking for any justification for it. Yeah, it was to protect Asahina, but I still shouldn't have done that, thinking back on it._

"Thankfully Koizumi was there to stop me."

"He looked pissed."

I took a second to think on that. In fact, yeah, yeah he did. However, since I saw how far he was willing to go to protect Haruhi, I wondered what he would have done to me if I did strike her. I contemplated that as I looked over the mansion we stopped in front of as I heard a piano being played.

_Mansion?_

_Wait. This is new._

You ever get that feeling of disorientation when seeing a new building pop up in a place that didn't have one? That you didn't see its construction or whatnot and one day you pass by that place and _bam - _a building? That was what I was going through.

Upon further review it was much smaller than the Scarlet Devil Mansion, yet bigger than most houses I've seen, and it was along the path to the Human Village from the SDM...about halfway, I think.

My eyes wandered to the source of the piano. It was Lyrica Prismriver, playing with her Keyboard outside.

_I'll be damned. The Prismrivers have a place to live down here._

She noticed us before I could say anything. Her eyes widened as she saw me.

"Oh expletive!" _No, I'm not repeating that here._ "Kyon!"

After the greetings and quick explanation of what was going on, Lyrica stood there, arms crossed, grinning, as she was sizing up Nagato.

"Well I'll be. Two members of the S.O.S. Brigade here in Gensokyo. Something _must_ be going on." The phantom keyboardist moved closer to Nagato. "Ah...so this is the one who can control data." Lyrica stuck out her hand to Nagato, but didn't get a handshake. Lyrica's grin faded as she raised an eyebrow. "What, not going to shake?"

Nagato just blinked, staring at the Prismriver.

What happened next was rather unexpected.

Lyrica said the following in English and with an Irish accent:

"Well, you're a shy lass now, aren't you?"

_Wait what?!_ It struck me like lightning as I blurted out: "You're _Irish_?"

I never would have guessed it, especially since they don't have any accent I could tell. They were fluent in Japanese. In a way, it made sense - the Prismrivers had fair hair and fair skin. I told Lyrica as such.

The poltergeist just shrugged, as she went back to japanese.

"You never knew?" She went up to me and lightly knocked on my forehead, which I did not appreciate. "Uh, hello? 'Lunasa'?"

"Your sister?" I said as I rubbed my forehead. "What about her?"

"It's the Irish name for the month of August, and also the name of an old Ireland harvest festival." She grinned, putting her hands on her hips. "That's right, Kyon! Not only are the Prismrivers perfect, but we're _Irish_ too!"

At the edge of my vision, I saw Sakuya roll her eyes. I wanted to as well.

"As for the accent, well, we adapt quickly." Lyrica gave a slight shrug. "We'd stick out like a sore thumb if we have our Irish accents while speaking Japanese."

I never pegged the Prismriver sisters to be Irish. I mean, yeah, they appeared to be from Europe, but I would have never guessed their nationality.

Shows what I know. And I would later learn that she was right about the "Lunasa" bit.

"As if being ghosts isn't strange enough?"

"In Gensokyo? Nah, we blend right in."

_Very true._

Lyrica then turned to Sakuya. "Anyways, maid! Tell your lady that we'll be ready tomorrow!"

_Ready for what?_

Whatever it was, Sakuya just nodded and we continued to the human village without any further conversation.

Again, there seemed to be things where I had no idea what was going on.

* * *

Smoker girl was there again. She was fixing a fence, with that cigarette in the corner of her mouth, and glanced up as we neared her - I could smell the menthol of her cigarettes. She didn't smell of Tobacco, however, but just of smoke. Her eyes widened slightly, then she sort of grimaced when she saw us. She continued her work as we passed her, so I'm guessing her priority was fixing that fence, and not following us again.

_Seeing her up close is a huge difference in seeing her from a distance. Seeing her from afar doesn't do her justice. This girl really is beautiful._

Again, thumbs up.

Sakuya, Nagato and I made our way to the marketplace, where I acted as a mule of sorts, just carrying the wicker baskets while the maid filled them.

I found myself wondering why I was relegated as the "mule". Was it just because I was male?

Also, Nagato actually paused when we got in the village. She took it all in, her eyes slightly widening. That was pretty much my reaction to it as well.

Just like stepping back in time.

We went from store to store, stall to stall, and rather quickly, we were almost done. The last place had a line, so Sakuya stood in it, while I took a few steps away from it to sit down on a bench. The baskets weren't particularly heavy, it's just that holding something for a period of time gets tiring. Nagato sat with me, still silent. She still wouldn't look at me.

_She's mad at me. She has to be mad at me._

Reality was, I didn't even have a good chance to talk to her. Part of me, however, wanted to avoid doing so, but I knew I had to. I owed her as such. I turned my head towards her, determined to speak to her, but without any plan of how to go about it.

"Nagato..."

And then she spoke. Staring straight ahead, but she spoke.

"This is Gensokyo. A world where the fantasies of Haruhi Suzumiya gather. Established in its current form in 1885 by a Yukari Yakumo and the Hakurei family. Humans only know that the Hakurei family established the barrier, they did not know about the demon sage doing so. Order given by the 122nd Emperor of Japan Meiji, as a hidden effect of the Meiji Restoration. Emperor Meiji initiated an accelerated industrial revolution for Japan so it could keep up with the rest of the world, and an area such as Gensokyo had no place in his new Japan."

_Okay, that caught me off guard._ But what Nagato seemingly blurted out piqued my interest a bit.

It actually made perfect sense - the Meiji Restoration helped bring Japan up to speed with the rest of the world. And a plot of land in Japan that had a lot of fantasy going on in it would only be detrimental to that Restoration. Gensokyo had no place in the new Japan.

It made sense.

Nagato kept at it, as I processed what she said.

"My superiors have sent me data on Gensokyo. Everything that I have been told that regards to your slight disappearance in January is true. They have known about Gensokyo ever since the data explosion. The files on Gensokyo are massive. I am still processing them. However, they are incomplete. I have been ordered to verify most of them."

I wanted to say something, to give my opinion on it, when I realized that I didn't even have any opinion on that.

Well, why not? If Gensokyo was an extension of Haruhi, and Nagato was to observe Haruhi, then shouldn't Nagato also see to Gensokyo?

_Yeah, except that she really can't observe Haruhi while in here. We need to get her out. Shouldn't be too hard to do so, for her at least. Thing is..._

I told her what I just thought.

"Thing is, shouldn't you be out there? Out of Gensokyo? Both of us?"

"As I said, I have been ordered to observe this unique closed space."

"That's what it's been classified as?"

Nagato gave a single nod.

"Yes. And do not worry about my objective concerning the observation of Haruhi Suzumiya. Emiri Kimidori will take the initiative of observing Haruhi Suzumiya in this timeframe until we can use time travel to undo our absence."

I slowly nodded, taking note that Sakuya was halfway through the line.

I saw Nagato slightly purse her lips.

"The existence of Gensokyo is rather overwhelming. Such a place existing is...unique."

It wasn't like Nagato to have a pause like that. This place may have really put her off balance, not to mention that I was there beforehand.

I sighed.

"Are you mad at me, Nagato? You have every right to be."

Nagato slightly lowered her head, going silent again. I don't know if she was looking for words to use, or whatnot. I hoped it was that case, and that it wasn't her not talking to me.

The fact that she _still _wouldn't look at me was killing me, to tell the truth.

I was about to ask her another question, just to get her talking, when I overheard the following. From behind us, a group of kids were gathered, a teenager the eldest of the group, sitting down and speaking.

_"'In this sad world, a dense, austere forest._

_In this happy world, a bird breaks out in song._

_'Whither went the little girl?'_

_Turn back, turn back, cute little girl._

_This place is the dark night's trap._

_Duck, dodge, flee, don't get caught._

_Lurk, creep, hide, don't be seen._

_'Who is that behind you?'_

_Run away, run away, cute little girl._

_This place is the dark night's web._

_The Dark Jail of Shadows._

_Flee, dodge, duck, don't get caught!_

_Hide, creep, lurk, don't be seen!_

_A pale visage breaking into a smile._

_Crimson eyes, glinting in the dark._

_'Gotcha!'_

_-Whither went the little girl?'"_

The girl sat back, a somber look on her face.

"And that children's folk tale, little ones, is why we don't go outside the village at night."

"And what was that about?"

She turned to me.

"Hmm?"

"What was that 'children's folk tale'-" _If you can call it that._ "-about?"

The girl tilted her head, a sad, knowing look in her eyes.

"It's about the little youkai of shadows out there. The one named Rumia. She'll eat children."

_Can I take that question back?_

* * *

After that little tidbit, and me wishing I didn't hear about that, nothing else happened (other than smoker-girl showing up as we finished shopping and "escorting" us out of the village). Sakuya got her supplies, and we made our way to the mansion. Night fell rather quickly - it becoming nearly pitch black midway back.

Sakuya told us to hurry. I asked why, especially since she's a powerful warrior. I mean, it shouldn't be a problem for her, right? Sakuya, rolled her eyes at me.

"I can stop time, kill powerful monsters, and was a professional hunter...yet I was still beaten by Milady and Reimu. What does _that_ say, Kyon?"

_It says that I should shut up and trust in your judgement in here._

The maid had a point. Gensokyo was quite unforgiving and full of amazingly powerful people. People who could take down a time-stopping maid (let alone normal me) existed there.

Sakuya stopped time to get us to the mansion. Even while time was stopped, she moved quickly, motioning for us to do the same. Nagato appeared a bit taken back by that ability, as she had her jaw slightly open, as if in surprise again. She really was unprepared for Gensokyo, it seemed.

We rushed through the frozen, gray world. I had noticed near the pathway, that there were _things_ in the foliage. I don't know what they were, but they were there, eyes on the path. It wasn't until we were on the grounds of the Mansion that Sakuya relaxed.

Just as well, too. I had gotten antsy being out there. After hearing about Rumia eating children...well, the thought disturbed me.

_That little youkai of shadows is still out there._ I thought that as I stared into the darkness beyond the grounds of the SDM. The iron gate gave me a feeling of security.

_Of course, she could just fly over and get me right now._

_..._

_...I think I'll head inside._

I did a near-run for the front door.

* * *

After dropping off the baskets, Sakuya led us to the balcony. Meiling was up there, and she smiled as we approached.

"Hey kid."

I noticed that there were a few maids up here as well, and most were just relaxing, leaning up against the railing. There was a single table with an umbrella, and a small chair. I'm guessing it belonged to Remilia. There was a large teapot there, which the maids were getting drinks from. I asked Meiling what was going on.

"Well, you see, this is a rare treat for us servants to have this balcony. Usually the mistress has this all to herself, but she's busy with overseeing the construction, so we have this place to ourselves, kid."

Sakuya poured out the tea, and we all stood there at the end of the balcony, looking over the lake. The moon had risen, and was reflecting off, giving such an amazing light. The moon was almost full, so it lit up the night.

It was beautiful. One of the things I missed about Gensokyo, barring...

_...her._

_Stop it! Stop it stop it stop it!_

"Ah yes, the Gods truly love Gensokyo. They live here, after all."

At that point, I had begun to take the time to come up with something to say to Nagato in an effort to avoid thoughts on Marisa, as the interface had not looked at me since coming to Gensokyo, but what Meiling said caught my complete attention.

I mean, how could it not?

"Uh, what? There are Gods in here?"

"Mmmm, yeah." said Sakuya. "From what I can tell, there are supposed to be a number of Gods living on Youkai mountain, along with the Tengu and the Kappa. I myself never believed it until I saw two of them."

I glanced over at Nagato, and then back at the maid. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

Okay, it's one thing to have Koizumi tell me that Haruhi is "God", but for actual Gods to exist? That I might actually see one?

I'm gonna say it. It perked my interest.

"They go around Gensokyo when fall rolls around. Well, actually, they bring fall with them. I suppose you could say they're like Lilly White, in a way. The twin Goddesses of Autumn - the Aki sisters. Shizuha is the Goddess of changing the color of leaves, while Minoriko is the Goddess of Harvest."

"Actual Gods..."

"Well, they're not too different from you or me, actually. They have human form, and they are very friendly. They have to be."

"Why's that?"

Sakuya poured herself a cup and joined Meiling at the railing. "From what I can gather, they are not unlike youkai. You see, in my time in Gensokyo, I learned something about youkai, actually. I think you know the conditions of becoming a youkai."

"Living for a long time. That's the main one, right?"

"Right."

"But then you also have Alice, Remilia, and the ones who were turned."

Sakuya took a sip and nodded. "Yeah. But they're special cases. What I can gather, however, is that youkai and Gods have something in common."

"What's that?"

Meiling interrupted, after taking a swig of her drink.

"We need someone to believe in us, kid."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"That's what they have in common." Sakuya looked up at the almost-full moon, the light illuminating her beautiful face. She had a coy look, for some reason. "What's different is _how_ they are believed. Gods run on the faith of man. Without it, they whither away from existence and cease to be. Like I said, there are a few Gods here in Gensokyo that were forgotten out there. They live on in here, because the people in here _know_ that Gods exist."

"On the other hand, kid, we youkai run on the fear of man." Meiling raised a finger. "Stories told, actual fear, or even respect. If we are put into legend, like in a book, and are remembered, we will live."

My mind did a flash of memories, of when I was in the Library earlier that day. Not the SDM's Library, but the one in my world. "The youkai live on in those tales", as said by that librarian with purple eyes.

_Purple eyes...I'll be damned. Yukari._

It hit me. That was Yukari. That had to be Yukari in some sort of disguise.

I'm sorry - I've gotten ahead of myself. You see, in the days since coming back from Gensokyo the first time, I have inexplicably come across many books and whatnot of youkai, folklore, and folktales. And of course, seeing as I had developed a newfound interest in youkai and the paranormal, I read them. Until that point of standing there with Sakuya, Nagato, and Meiling, I never really gave it much thought.

Yukari was making me know and remember youkai.

"That is why they cause incidents. That is why some 'stage' attacks on the Human Village. It isn't them being evil, even though some of them _are_." Sakuya glanced back at the mansion, and then turned back to us. "They are doing this to stay alive. Belief and faith were being pushed back out there, which...which I suppose makes sense. Yukari, I mean. What she did - making this place. She saved her kind with what she did. The more powerful and wiser youkai in here aren't necessarily evil - they just want to see the next day, same as you and me."

"So there is something in common between us all."

We stared at Nagato, who interjected that.

"Haruhi Suzumiya believes in aliens, time travelers, and espers. We exist because she believes in us. It's theorized that if she ceased to believe, we would cease to exist as a result."

_That's a good question, actually. If Haruhi gave up on her beliefs, would my friends just disappear?_ That's a scary thought.

Again, I had to respect my Brigade associates for being in such a delicate situation and dealing with it. I can't even imagine how scared they must have been when Haruhi and I were at the end of the world. Everything they knew was on the cusp of being undone.

Sakuya slowly nodded at that, as did Meiling.

"Yeah...yeah that's true." Meiling took another drink. "We _aren't_ all much different, are we?" The gate guard then slowly raised an eyebrow at Nagato. "But, I doubt you'd go around eating humans. You aren't _that_ kind of alien or paranormal being, are you?"

_Thankfully she isn't._

"I can be classified as a paranormal being, but I am not a youkai."

"Aren't you? I mean, look at you." The guard started to slowly circle Nagato, sizing her up. "Look at you. You're an _alien_. A _something_ that has taken the form of a human girl." Meiling then referenced to her own body, smirking. "Like me, barring being an alien."

_I don't know if I could take Nagato having Meiling's super-hot body._ Suffice to say, such an image popped into my head. Amusing as it was to fathom, it didn't look right. Then again, I've known Nagato to be the way she is, so such a rapid and drastic physical difference put me off.

I'm not saying I didn't _like_ such an image, I'm just saying that it didn't look right.

_*Ahem*_

"But most youkai would still attack and eat us if given the chance, right?" I asked, in an attempt to get around that thought.

"Oh, yeah," said Sakuya." No doubt about that. Humanity should also thank Yukari for doing her part in herding most of the youkai in here. Because let's face it - youkai are above humans in the food chain. With less youkai out there, humanity has become the apex predator. In here, in Gensokyo, _we_ are the delicacies - _we_ are that random pig in a field that looks appetizing."

"She's right you know." said Meiling with a nod. "You humans get caught by a youkai and you can't defend yourselves, that's it. You die. Alone, screaming, and violently. And that's if you're _lucky_ to be caught by a youkai in human form. _Those_ will have the courtesy to kill you _before_ cooking you up for a meal. The lesser youkai will eat you alive and raw."

"Meiling, I would appreciate it if you didn't give me nightmares for tonight."

"I'm just telling you how it is, kid."

"I know how it is. I was almost killed by Rumia, remember?"

"Rumia? Oh. Oh yeah, her. And again, no need to thank me."

"I just think you'd find it funny." Sakuya said.

"Find what funny?"

Sakuya winked at me as she took another sip of tea.

"Well, it's about the Aki sisters. It seems that even Gods need money. You see, the Aki sisters run a Sweet Potato stand during the fall. Make no mistake - their quality is the best; they are made by the Gods after all, but still, I just find the whole thing a bit amusing."

"What I find amusing is that you're still an atheist."

Sakuya quickly stood up, fists clenched, glaring at Meiling, who said that. Without saying anything, Sakuya turned and left. I stood there stunned, because there was this pang of fury that formed on Sakuya's face, and it unnerved me.

The rest of the maids all looked at each other. It was as that thing had killed the mood, as they started to leave the balcony. Soon, it was just me, Meiling and Nagato up there. The guard hung her head, sighing.

"Crap," Meiling muttered, after a moment of silence. "Shouldn't have done that."

"What?"

Meiling had her head lowered, as she turned to me. "Well, you've heard about Sakuya, right? About what she used to be?"

"A vampire hunter."

"From what I heard, vampires out there are sensitive to items of the church. Vampire hunters were holy warriors."

Meiling looked towards the gate, a faraway look in her eyes.

"You should have seen her. Fourteen years old, armed with a plethora of silver knives, wearing her jeans, fingerless gloves, leather boots and a gray hooded sweater...and her cross." The guard scratched her head under her beret. "She wore a cross, silver, I think. It was simple, but it just struck me, you know? She was obviously proud to wear it into battle. Proud to be a warrior of the Christian God. But that's the thing, though...you've heard it, right? Lady Remilia and Lady Flan are two unique vampires. They aren't affected by items of the church."

I do recall Remilia saying something like that.

"Holy water, crosses, prayers - none of that does anything to them. Sakuya found that out the hard way. I think...I think it broke Sakuya's heart to not have that cross do any good. She...she may have felt abandoned by her God. Because when she started working for us, she hid her cross. She still kept it, but she hid it."

Meiling rubbed the back of her head.

"I, uh...I kinda snuck into her room one night a number of years ago, and looked for it. She has it in a box stuck in the back of her armoire. And...she has been a bit hostile to anyone who has brought it up, namely _me."_ Meiling let out a sigh. "If you were to ask me, I think she's lost faith in her God. Like I said, she may have felt abandoned by her God in her time of greatest need. She must have initially thought that working for Lady Remilia would have been the worst thing ever. Thankfully it isn't, but..."

"But she still doesn't believe in God anymore, right?"

"Yeah. Once you lose your faith, it's hard to get it back. It's not some faucet you can turn on or off." Meiling finished her drink, and stared into the empty cup. "It just, you know, it just kind of hurts me to see that. I know that it's none of my business, but seeing how Sakuya is now...how she is without any faith...I can't explain it. Why it bothers me, I mean. Maybe...maybe because she's my friend...and it hurts to see her 'hurt' like that."

In a way, I kind of knew that feeling. I had lost faith in the paranormal, and for a long time, I desperately clung to the rules of normalcy, because that's all I could do. Why be disappointed in things that wouldn't happen?

Or so I thought.

But of course, I had nothing on what happened to Sakuya. To lose faith in one's own religion? To feel abandoned by the higher power you believe in? That's heavy. Especially if you _know_ there is an afterlife.

Which the two of us did know.

"Should I go talk to her?" I asked as I looked towards the doorway back inside.

"Only if you want a knife in the forehead." I turned to Meiling, half-expecting her to be smirking or something, but she looked dead-serious. "You think I'm kidding? She's very defensive about it. She'll stab you if you try to bring it up."

"I've been stabbed enough times in my life already, thank you. Once is enou-"

I shut my mouth, as I came to my senses. _Hello, idiot? Nagato is right there! The one who pulled you into that situation and felt guilty about it! You're doing swell at getting on her good side today, aren't you?_

I slapped my forehead, both in frustration, and to also shut up that little voice in my mind. I turned to Nagato.

"Ah, Nagato, I'm sorry."

She still wouldn't look at me.

I needed to talk to Nagato. One on one, without any interruptions. I had been putting it off, everyone else monopolized Nagato, and Nagato herself seemed betrayed enough to not want to talk to me about it.

And call me crazy, but it felt as if there was some invisible force keeping us from talking, just drawing out this whole drama of me not sitting down with Nagato and attempt to set things straight. Like if someone was writing a story and was too inept a writer to have a real reason to keep a character from talking with another character.

Hang on, why did I come up with that analogy? Ah, doesn't matter.

I quickly said my goodnights to Meiling, and got a passing fairy maid inside to lead us to the room I used the last time I was in Gensokyo. After the maid bowed and closed the door, there I was, alone with Nagato.

Barring the usual guy thoughts that happen when they are alone with a pretty girl in a room with a bed, I had to quickly come up with something. I had to know what I was going to say, otherwise I'd look like an even bigger idiot than I must have appeared to be.

Nagato moved to the window, looking out at Gensokyo. I moved near her, stopping a few meters. _This is it, dumbass. Say something!_

And like the idiot I was, I started talking without knowing what I was going to say.

"So...this is Gensokyo. My...little secret that I've kept for seven months."

I felt bad for saying it that way. I really wanted to slap myself for that. Nagato still wouldn't turn to me as I spoke.

"To tell you the truth, I don't know why I didn't tell you, actually. Maybe because it was a secret just for _me_, you know?

"I have requested on several occasions to my superiors to find out what happened to you seven months ago. I had yet to receive an answer until this afternoon."

_Her superiors again. Interesting to know that they considered Gensokyo to be so important as to keep it a secret from the rest of the Data Society. To keep it from her, even._

The superiors...

I had a card to play. Again that distrust that Nagato's superiors had with her.

"They didn't want you to find out about that alternate timeline, and maybe you shouldn't."

She blankly stared outside, but I noticed her head perk up a bit. I caught her attention with that.

"No, I'm not being mean or anything, Nagato...it's just that..."

_What good is it going to do? Yukari said that the Data Society was going to delete Nagato in that timeline where I didn't go back. What good is it going to do other than strain the relationship Nagato has with her superiors?_

Still, she deserved to know. I was laying it all out on the table then. I had to, to earn her trust.

"Okay. I'll come out and say it. You know how I went down that timeline where I wasn't out of Gensokyo? Well, according to Yukari, in _that_ timeline, without me there to blackmail them, your superiors would have gone ahead and deleted you."

Nagato _finally_ turned to me, jaw slightly dropped. Moved a few millimeters, but it was noticeable by me. She stared into my eyes.

_Well that got her attention._

"I couldn't let them do that, Nagato. Especially since it was too close to those events...the snow mansion and...and when you remade the world. I _had_ considered staying in Gensokyo, but I couldn't let them do that. I couldn't let them do that to you." I swallowed hard. "You were one of the reasons why I went back."

I took a step towards her. _Keep it up, man! You're doing great!_

"Nagato, I owe you a lot. I should have told you, but...well, there is no other explanation than me just being an idiot. You deserved to know. It's just that...it made me so _angry_ that they would even think of deleting you again. Maybe...I don't know."

I was stumbling over myself, thinking of what to say next, what to give to Nagato as an explanation. I really had none. I lowered my head, accepting defeat in this situation.

_Damn it all. I had all day to plan on how I should explain it to her, and here I am unable to really display how sorry I am._

"I owe you an apology."

I looked up at her.

"Huh?"

Nagato had taken a few steps closer to me. She no longer avoided my gaze.

"I should have revealed the existence of the afterlife to you. I noticed your reaction. There was a subtle tic on your face when I said 'Classified Information' in response to your inquiry."

"No. No, it's not the same. The afterlife thing was done for my own good, I guess. I mean," I rubbed the back of my head. "Being told that there really _is_ something behind it all is just...kind of big for a human." I gave her a shrug. "It was a spur of the moment question at that time. I actually didn't think about my being in the afterlife before I asked that question. It's just...at that time, it popped into my mind. I should have told you about Gensokyo. There was no reason for me to keep it a secret. You had a reason to keep your secret."

"No, I didn't. The 'classified information' tag was my doing. It was my decision to not reveal it to you, and it was wrong." Nagato turned back to the window. I saw her body take a deep breath. "We were both betrayed. The signature on the files regarding your time in Gensokyo belong to Emiri Kimidori. She watched your entire excursion."

_That idiot!_ She watched and didn't do a damn thing to help me out!

I really did feel betrayed. The data society really did sit on their hands.

_Damn them._

We stood there in silence for a bit, me unsure of what to say about Emiri (although I felt some relief and anger knowing _who_ it was who watched me), and Nagato apparently processing what I told her.

"Thank you."

"For what?" I asked.

She turned back to me. "Thank you for coming back for me."

I was finally able to allow myself to smile. Inwardly I congratulated myself, for managing to get through this, to get through to Nagato.

"...not a problem. I'd always come back for you, Nagato. I may not be able to do much, but I'll always come back for you."

Nagato no longer appeared betrayed. Well, it wasn't as tactful as I wanted it to be, but it seemed to work - she was no longer angry. I really wish it could have gone smoother, however.

Now that I was no longer worried about that situation, my guy thoughts came back. Rushing back, coming to the forefront of my mind with a vengeance.

_I'm all alone with Yuki Nagato in a bedroom_. As if in automated response, my eyes fell on the bed. And certain thoughts of what that could lead to also filled my mind. My male mind even went into detail over _what_ could happen. _Really_ went into detail.

I know, I know. _Damn you, hormones!_

I had to get those thoughts out of my mind, and the best way would be to go the gentleman's route by offering her my room while I got another for the night.

I did as such, and it wasn't until I was out of the room that I realized that I had no idea of any other room I could sleep in. I walked down the darkened hallway, wondering how quickly I would get lost if I just wandered around.

I really did need Sakuya or a maid or _somebody _to guide me from my room. The mansion was a labyrinth in the dark, and I would have needed a map. Granted, I could just go from room to room, but it would be rude of me, just in case some of the fairy maids were in those rooms, and I would have liked to avoid that classic scenario of a guy walking into a room as a girl is changing. It would be awesome, but also embarrassing as hell.

But to do that scenario with a fairy? _That's a thought. Could a human and a fairy be a couple?_ I'd have to leave that thought aside.

Logically, however, servants quarters are supposed to be away from the guest quarters. _Then again, I'm not considered a guest, am I? Remilia regards me as a servant of hers._

Also, I didn't want to be out in the dark hallways and run into Flandre, should she be wandering around. The mere thought of me running into the little vampire solo sent chills down my spine, causing me to stop in my tracks. _Who knows what she might do to me. Hell, with her being certifiably insane, __**she**__ might not even know what she would do to me._

I looked back to the door that I had come out of, wondering if I should just go back.

_Come on, don't be chicken. The chances that she's out here-_

I heard her giggling. Somewhere from within the darkness. The way the sound reverberated in the hallway made it difficult to tell where she was, but there was no mistake - Flandre was nearby, possibly in the same hallway I was standing in. I lost all of my courage - I quickly ran back to my room, closed the door, and spun around, facing Nagato. She hadn't moved much from when I left the room, and slightly raised an eyebrow at my abrupt return.

I took a deep breath.

"You know what? Uhm...I'll just sleep on the chair. Take the bed."

Fear trumps male libido.

This time.

Also, I had to take measures to lock the door when Nagato wasn't looking. I didn't want to give her any wrong impressions. It's just that I was being a coward.

* * *

**July 15th, 1004**

_Yuyuko. She exists. She still exists._

Yukari Yakumo opened her eyes, her body in throbbing pain. Every part of her hurt. She clenched her teeth and struggled to breathe, her body tensing up. She knew this was bad. It took her a while to realize she had to manage her pain before she could do anything else.

_Thankfully, I'm in a reclined bed of some sort. Okay...what's the next thing...focus. Focus on a point. Slow down the heart rate. Relax the muscles. Focus on that word. Relax. Relax._

_Re..._

She took in a breath.

_...lax..._

She let it out.

This continued for a few minutes, until the pain became tolerable.

_Okay okay...Every part of my body hurts. Going to have to do something...okay...my mind and my body are separate. My mind and my body are separate. What is hurting my body has nothing to do with my mind._

Yukari kept telling herself that, and after a few more minutes, she actually could move her limbs. Shaking, she ever-so-slowly sat up.

She found that she was in a bed of some sort, in a wooden room. Still shaking, she turned her head to study her surroundings. It was a room on a ship, much to her surprise. A single porthole allowed daylight into the simple room. A bed, which she occupied, a small dresser, and a table with two chairs made it up.

_Where in the name of all the Gods am I?_

She tilted her head, focusing her sense of hearing. She heard no water, which was puzzling, because she was sure that she could feel the movement of the ship - the sway a ship makes while in transit.

Shifting, she found that her body was covered only in bandages. Wrapping the sheet of the bed around her, she managed to stand up and limp to the porthole.

_Doesn't hurt to walk doesn't hurt to walk._

It did, but she kept telling herself that it didn't. Her body kept moving to the porthole. What she saw outside surprised her.

_By the Gods. I'm in the air. This ship is flying in the air._

Which only meant one thing to the demon.

The Palanquin. Yukari was on the Palanquin. She had heard of this ship.

_The ship of the buddhist. The buddhist "youkai hunter"._

As if on cue to coincide with that realization, there was a knock on the door. The door opened a creak, and Yukari saw hazel eyes staring into the room.

"Ah. You're awake. Is now a good time for me to see how you are doing?"

It was a woman's voice, a very soothing voice. It reminded the demon of another soothing voice. Yukari blinked, before struggling a smile.

"I suppose." Yukari then slowly sat down at the table. "Although I must say...I am at a disadvantage here. I am _really_ in a foreign situation."

"You have no need to worry. I have no hostile intentions towards you."

Yukari could feel it. Whomever it was did not seem to be an enemy.

The door opened, and in walked a beautiful woman who had to be in her late twenties. Long, wavy brown hair with a purple gradient at the top, hazel eyes. A white dress with a black coat and cape. She was carrying a platter, and smiled at Yukari.

"How are you feeling, Miss Yakumo?"

"Ah. You already know my name."

The woman set the tray down at the table. A simple, light meal of a vegetable soup, bread, and water. The woman motioned for Yakumo to eat. Yakumo stared into the calm eyes of that woman, feeling a bit of calmness herself.

"Of course I know the name of one of the more infamous youkai of our time. Last I heard, you were supposed to have been killed off by the Saigyou monks."

Yukari slowly nodded as she dipped the bread into the soup, and brought it up to eat. _Even chewing this soggy bread hurts._

"Death...death can not take me. However, all things considered," said Yukari, referencing her bandages, "I suppose I should be grateful. But what you have done is not necessary. I would have recovered just fine."

"We found you in a horrific state, Miss Yakumo. We all thought you were dead."

"We?"

"Me and my followers."

Yukari heard a shifting, from behind the door. _We're not alone here. We're being eavesdropped. _The demon made a mental note that there were several youkai outside, possibly there ready to defend this woman should Yukari be hostile.

_I understand their loyalty. Wasted, however. Even if I was hostile, I am currently in no condition to fight in any way shape or form._

"Interesting that people still remember me, and consider me infamous. You are somewhat infamous in my circle as well, human." Yukari's eyes referenced to the porthole. "After all, this is the Palanquin, isn't it? Which means that you can only be one person, human...a human who poses as a youkai hunter, but instead saves them. Miss Byakuren Hijiri." Yukari got a nod in response. Then the demon looked towards the door. "I can sense a few of them outside the door, listening in on our conversation. Your followers, correct? Is that a tiger youkai I sense?"

"Yes. I'm sorry if you feel threatened, Miss Yakumo, but they do care about my safety."

Yukari cracked a smile. Even moving the muscles for that hurt.

"It's okay. I'm actually in no position to defend myself anyways, sadly."

"We found your body, tortured almost beyond recognition. Amazing that you've healed this quickly, even though you've been out for over a week. What happened, if I may ask?"

Yukari debated on whether she should tell this woman what really happened, but decided to tell only the truth that needed to be told.

The truth that everyone _had_ to hear. Not necessarily what _really_ happened.

"I was tortured by Lunarians for a failed invasion. 1,002 youkai went to the moon, and only three of us came back. The rest are dead. 999 youkai executed in front of me by my Lunarian captors, and then they tortured me for a full week."

Yukari held back on telling how much those captors enjoyed inflicting pain. _Sick Lunarian sadistic bastards. Their entire society is sick. Even sicker is their superiority complex._ Yukari's thoughts went untold. Byakuren there didn't need to know.

"Were the other two tortured as well? We didn't find anyone else."

"No. They made their escape long before we were routed. I have to assume they made it back to earth safely. I was the only prisoner the Lunarians had."

_The only one they had fun with._

The woman sighed, a sadness coming over her face.

"Was it worth it, Miss Yakumo? Invasion? I've been fighting for peace. Instead of impure motives such as invasion, why not put forth your efforts to achieve my dream, as it should be the dream of all?" Byakuren smiled, clasping her hands together. "A world where youkai and humanity can co-exist. They need each other, after all."

_That's true. Youkai need the faith of mankind, and mankind needs that faith to take shape._

Yukari blinked, as a thought hit her like a bolt of lightning. Something became clear in her mind, as if she finally understood something important. An idea began to form in Yukari's head. An actual goal for the future. She let it stew while she made the effort to eat some more. _Actually...Gensokyo would be perfect for that. To pull it off, however...it'll take me time. A lot of time...but it's possible. This can work._

_I think I can make this work._

It was an attainable goal, to set aside a place where youkai and humanity could be together indefinitely. Youkai needed humanity, sadly. But there had to be rules...and there should be a balance, where youkai couldn't eradicate the humans in the area and vice versa.

"That...that doesn't sound like a bad idea, actually." Yakumo, however, was a bit miffed at being called 'impure'. She decided to take a jab at Hijiri, on what she knew about her. "But your pure motives are actually impure, Miss Hijiri. You yourself are greedy. You have used youkai magic to ensure that you will not age, that you can not die. You have put yourself in an interesting situation - if humanity eliminates the youkai of the world, the spell you cast on yourself will break. You will lose your youth, and you will wither and die."

_You put yourself, by choice, in the same situation all youkai are in._ On that thought, the idea of a fully contained Gensokyo was getting more appealing to Yukari.

The woman closed her eyes, apparently ashamed.

"It is as you said. But it is not greed that drives me, Miss Yakumo. It is fear. Petty fear of death and aging. My brother was taken from me...and...and I couldn't face it. So...so I've become eternally young."

Satisfied with that, Yukari smirked.

"Well, regardless, you are the second human I've met in the past year that is not willing to kill me on sight."

* * *

The dream was fading. I couldn't see anything, but I still heard Yukari's voice.

* * *

I've had a dream, Miss Hijiri...

A vivid dream or a vision. My friend Yuyuko...who had to sacrifice herself...

Yuyuko is out there. I was tortured and left on the border of death...and I saw her.

I saw Yuyuko. She has become a ghost. A youkai.

I can't wait to meet her again...

I'll find her.

I'll do _anything_ to meet her again...

_Anything_ to be with her.

_Anything._

* * *

**July 15th, 2004.**

**7:26 AM**

I would go into how weird that dream was, and ask questions about a "Hijiri" (wasn't that the name of a famous 10th century monk or someone?), but what I saw when I opened my eyes kind of put that on the backburner.

Flandre was on the bed, straddling Nagato, just staring the human interface down. Nagato laid there, wide-eyed at the vampire. The curtains were closed, so the sunlight wasn't in the room to hurt Flandre, but she just stared down at Nagato. Various thoughts of Nagato being dead flashed through my mind, but Nagato's eyes darted towards me, and back at the vampire on top of her.

_Okay...let's assess the situation. Nagato is alive, and sitting on top of her is Flandre. Nothing is happening. Still, this is very peculiar._ And that was putting it mildly. Also, the door was wide open - the doorknob just hanging. Flandre must have broken into the room. _How did I not wake up to that?_

It was a while before Flandre spoke.

"Kyon...you _changed_ overnight. What happened?"

Flandre said that to Nagato. I cleared my throat before speaking.

"Uhm, nothing changed."

Flandre whipped her head around to face me, her eyes wide.

"Oh! Oh! There you are! Didn't see you there. For a minute, I thought you turned into this girl."

I had to raise my eyebrow at that insanity.

Flandre then turned to Nagato, as if studying her facial features. "Oh, okay. You're that girl from yesterday. Yuki, right? Sorry about that. Thought you were Kyon."

You know, I've never felt so glad to be sleeping on a chair. Because I doubt my heart could have taken waking up to Flandre sitting on me. Screw that.

I just can't get over the fear I have of her. Even after seven months away from Gensokyo, I found myself glad over the fact that I never spent too much time with that little vampire.

Beaming as if she had solved a great mystery, Flandre hopped off the bed, and skipped out of the room, humming "Ten Little Indians" to herself. Nagato laid there blinking a few times, before slowly sitting up, her eyes on me.

"That was..."

"Unique? Yeah, a lot of unique things happen here."

Especially since Flandre thinks that me turning into a girl is a viable scenario.

That's just silly.

Then again, she's crazy, and that's just one of her crazy thoughts.

* * *

-entry-

-On the evening of July 14th, 2004, this entity was "spirited away" into Gensokyo. Made contact with numerous entities in a mansion owned by a vampire. Entities not hostile. Discovered [NAME REDACTED] "Kyon" in their presence, and he appeared to know a great deal about these entities.

-This entity then received packet of data regarding Gensokyo and its history, as well as an incident that centered around [NAME REDACTED] "Kyon".

-This entity engaged in conversation with [NAME REDACTED] "Kyon" in the matter of Gensokyo and the incident in which he was involved in.

-Personal Note: This entity does not appreciate the secrecy regarding [NAME REDACTED] "Kyon" in his disappearance in an alternate timeline. As he is vital to the stability of subject Haruhi Suzumiya, this entity should have been informed of what transpired.

-Entities encountered:

-Yuyuko Saigyouji, Ghost

-Youmu Konpaku, Half-Ghost Half-Human

-Remilia Scarlet, Vampire

-Flandre Scarlet, Vampire

-Patchouli Knowledge, Magician

-Koakuma, Lesser Devil

-Sakuya Izayoi, Human (?)

-Hong Meiling, [REDACTED] Youkai

-Lyrica Prismriver, Poltergeist

-Various fairies, employed by Remilia Scarlet.

-Various humans at the Human Village

-Entities cataloged.

-File upload detected from Admin 612:

-Displaying file:

**"Scarlet Mist Incident"**

**- In early July of 2003, a red (scarlet) mist began to envelope Gensokyo, blocking out the sun. Since the crops were not getting their sunlight, fifteen year olds Reimu Hakurei and Marisa Kirisame joined forces to see where the source was. On July 15th, 2003, they fought various youkai and fairies before they came across the place where the mist was obviously pouring out of - the Scarlet Devil Mansion. The two fought the guards and their Chief, Hong Meiling, in the yard, but they could not get in. Marisa Kirisame blasted a hole in the wall, and the two entered via the library, where they fought Patchouli Knowledge and Koakuma. After defeating them, they then entered the Mansion proper and took on the entire staff of maids, lead by Sakuya Izayoi. Sakuya Izayoi refused to stay down after being beaten in Danmaku, and Reimu Hakurei broke her ribs. Reimu Hakurei then took on Remilia Scarlet in the sky above the mansion, and emerged victorious. The mist was ended, and the sun was able to come out again.**

**- Remilia Scarlet pledged allegience to the two.**

**- July 20th, 2003: Marisa Kirisame and Reimu Hakurei took on (and defeated) Flandre Scarlet, at the manipulated request of Remilia Scarlet.**

**=Status: RESOLVED=**

**-File Catelogued by Emiri Kimidori.**

**-end file-**

-File received and read.

-Requesting all files regarding Gensokyo to be displayed for this individual entity.

-[ADMIN 612] : Request acknowledged and limited access has been granted. Will upload files deemed important to entity "N. Yuki".

-N. Yuki

-end entry-

-logoff-

* * *

**Children's Folk Tale - by: Asatsuki Dou **

**It's from a doujin called "Rumiac World", which is a gigantic doujin collaboration featuring many short stories from many different artists and authors about everyone's favorite youkai of shadows, Rumia. From my understanding, it's almost 500 pages big.**

**Yes, that is so.**

**Byakuren's dream was quite close to the vision of Gensokyo, so I always wondered, did Yukari and Byakuren meet ages ago? It's possible. And of course, as a story teller using Gensokyo as a backdrop, one can get away with embellishments concerning the history between characters. I do try to keep it as realistic as possible, as realistic as it can be for a place where the impossible is possible. It's so easy to forget **_**what**_** the characters are when you read about them in fan fictions, especially in slice of life stories.**

**They're not human. Most of them have a form of insanity. And most of them aren't that nice at all.**


	16. PN Episode 3 Imposter

**I never heard that about Youmu's Ghostblade in League of Legends, but have you heard about Wriggle's Lantern being in the same game?**

**Another Duck, whom I've been bouncing ideas off of lately, has pointed out that I'm off by one month in my Gensokyo timeline. Truth be told, I was going off of a wiki's timeline, so I'm sorry about that. The one I happened to use was off by a month.**

**Oh well. Off by one for this story, and I'll have to live with it.**

**Super Special thanks to Another Duck for allowing me to bounce ideas of of him, and for the German in the next episode...**

**As Superstarultra once said in his masterpiece "You Got HaruhiRolled!": ****"...****no story is complete without a Pokémon reference." I guess ICB is one step closer to being complete.**

**Also, do I really have to put a "please read and review" thing at the end of each chapter? Ah well.**

**The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is owned by Nagaru Tanigawa. Touhou Project is owned by ZUN and Team Shanghai Alice. I own neither. This is a fan fiction of those works.**

**Beta Readers for this Episode:**

**Another Duck**

**werewolf2005**

* * *

As I got ready to go to breakfast, I thought again about what I had just dreamt. I would have pondered about it some more, but thanks to Flandre's interruption, I was jarred out of my musing. But since I now had the downtime, I resumed my thoughts. Why was I dreaming of things from a thousand years ago when the world was created a few years ago. This brought up another question of interest; why was I able to remember things from before 2000?

Granted, this is all assuming that Koizumi's theory was truth. It was one of the problems I had with such an argument, of Haruhi creating existence, as it meant that my memories were nothing but a lie. Yet...Yukari confirmed it, didn't she?

If the gap demon was to be trusted, it meant it was true: my memories of my family, of my childhood, didn't really happen. I sighed, a somewhat sick feeling was forming in my stomach. I spoke to Nagato about it, as I didn't want to handle this on my own...as I couldn't handle it on my own. The data interface paused for a few seconds, staring up in my eyes, before answering in her monotone.

"I was created at the time of the data explosion. While it is true that the time travelers can not go past the point of time of the event, I was given knowledge about previous events." She seemingly searched my eyes. "You appear to be upset about this."

I nodded.

"May I offer my individual opinion?"

I was a bit taken aback by Nagato's offer, but I accepted. "I guess. Yeah."

"My...malfunction...had proved that memories can be altered, as well as existence. This is the world that we live in, a world that can, if I can use such a saying, be remade at the 'drop of a hat'. I am uncomfortable with the situation as well, but this is our existence."

I waited a few seconds, to see if she was going to say anything else, but it appeared that was her opinion. "So you just accept it?"

Nagato shifted a bit, slightly pursing her lips. Her eyes averted from my direction. "The alternative would be to change the world by force." Then her eyes fell on me, a very miniscule sadness in them.

Right. That again.

I sighed, as I had to accept that our way of maintaining the norm was the way to go, but I couldn't accept it, not like this. "I wish I could deal with such a way of thinking. I just can't."

"We have to. This is our reality." And then she went about getting ready for the day.

I retreated to the hall, giving her privacy, thinking about it. Nagato did have a point. Hell, just the previous night, I found out that Gods exist. I knew the afterlife existed. Places like Gensokyo were fact. Time travel is possible. And I had a conversation with an admitted alien.

_What a screwed up world I live in._ Although I didn't think "screwed" there. Another word, but again, I won't repeat it.

I had to get my mind off that way of thinking, of my life being a lie. Thankfully, we were soon escorted to the dining room. Breakfast was as I remember - European. Keeping with the by-country theme, it happened to be an English breakfast as most of it was fried.

The English really _do_ love their fried food, don't they? Loses its natural taste and nutritional value.

Still tasty, however.

The various smells of made-from-scratch blueberry muffins, poached eggs, "bangers" (England's word for sausages, apparently), waffles, fried mushrooms, bacon, baked beans, freshly squeezed orange juice, hash browns, and other delectable breakfast-stuffs was my welcome as Nagato and I entered the dining room. I also detected fresh coffee, which I was looking forward to. There was also tea.

And blueberries. I mentioned the muffins just now, but there were blueberries everywhere. Jam, in syrup form, mixed up in the waffles, or just standalone berries. I'm guessing they had a good harvest of them. I didn't mind at all - blueberries are delicious.

What was that old saying? The way to a man's heart was through his stomach? If that was the case, then I was _deeply_ in love with Sakuya and the cooks of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. As if Sakuya being in a maid uniform that tickles a male's heart wasn't a good enough reason to like her.

"Ah, Sakuya...I missed this." I said as I sat down to eat. "I missed this the most. Your cooking."

The maid simply smiled. "It's great to hear that. I trust Nagato will enjoy this as well?"

Nagato simply gave a nod as she sat down next to me. She surveyed the table for a few seconds, before turning to me and making a statement.

"This is more than we can eat."

Nagato had a good point. There were plates and platters of breakfast on the table, _way_ more than the two of us could eat, even if there were more people at the table as well. There was too much food.

"Lady Yuyuko will be joining us." Sakuya said. "So...this might actually not be enough."

Well, then there was not enough food.

* * *

**Perishable Night**

**Episode 3**

**["Imposter"]**

* * *

_**"Teams of cooks regularly venture beyond the barrier to hunt humans. They apply many methods to conceal their existence from humans of the outer world; accidents and people who run away from home... **_

_**There are too many humans today for anyone to notice when a few go missing."**_

**-Perfect Cherry Blossom: Prologue**

* * *

We both began to eat, as Sakuya said it was all right.

"So, uh," I said, as I poured syrup on my waffles. "Sakuya, about last night-"

She was quick to respond. Her voice was cold, and the emotion left her face as she stared at me.

"Kyon, we are not going to talk about that. End of discussion. That's private."

The _way_ she said that put me off. She _really_ didn't want to go into that subject. Even her eyes had become daggers.

Thing is, why did I care? Why did I find myself caring that she didn't have any faith?

Maybe because she has a double standard. She just said the previous night that there are Gods in Gensokyo, and she's an atheist? That doesn't sound right to me.

For a second, I wondered if Meiling managed to put me on this path, thinking I could somehow fix Sakuya the way she never could if I knew about the maid's past. It really shouldn't be any of my business, right?

And while I was musing all that, I poured too much syrup on my plate. I hastily cleaned up my mess, resigning myself to blueberry syrup on my eggs.

Sakuya blinked at me a few times before resuming her setting up of the table, I think to both make sure I got her message, and also to ponder why I poured too much syrup all over my plate.

"It's just that-"

"Kyon, don't. End of discussion."

"But-"

Sakuya shot me a glance - narrowed eyes.

"Please. _Don't._"

_Well that's not a good way to start the day now, is it?_ I decided to not pursue it...at least for a while. Sakuya glared at me for a little while longer, before returning to her duties of setting up the table.

Patchouli came in, slightly smiling when she got hit by the pleasant smells of breakfast. Koakuma was right behind her.

"Ah," Patchouli sighed. "Good morning you two. I take it you're ready?"

"Ready for what?" I said in-between mouthfuls of delicious waffles.

Patchouli's eyes widened, realizing something as she sat down at her usual place. "Ah. Right. In all our excitement yesterday, we forgot to tell you, didn't we? Tonight, we at the Scarlet Devil Mansion will have a party."

"Really? What's the occasion?" I glanced at Nagato, before turning towards Patchouli. "Not because of us, is it?"

It would be nice if someone threw a party because of what I went through. Get some recognition for what I do for the world, you know? After all, I do save it occasionally. I'm just saying that it would be nice.

"No, no." Patchouli said as she wagged a finger. "It's a multitude of things. Anniversaries, remembrance, and because it's a full moon."

"Full moon?"

During all this, Koakuma was setting things up for Patchouli at the table. The assistant librarian silently (and happily, it seemed) went about her business getting things right for her master.

"Yes." said Patchouli. "You see, youkai of all shapes and sizes celebrate the full moon. It's when they achieve maximum power. It's a time when a youkai can achieve its raison d'tere, if you can understand such a saying. So, they give thanks for the moon."

"Sort of like-" I took a drink of milk before continuing, "-like...I don't know...say a ghost, a witch, or a vampire celebrating Halloween or something?"

"That's..." Patchouli paused, seemingly thinking that over. She gave a little shrug. "That's not entirely inaccurate" The Librarian then grinned a little. "Speaking of Halloween, you should join us on that date. Halloween in the Scarlet Devil Mansion is _astonishingly_ fun."

I hesitated. "Should I ask why?"

"For one, we don't use fake ghosts for decoration."

It took me a moment for my brain to process that, and during that time I think I just stared wide-eyed at her, before I managed to speak. "I think I'll pass."

Still, if I was up for the ultimate thrill, I suppose I could risk it. Halloween in a vampire's mansion. However, would Yuyuko and Youmu get offended in ghosts being used in such a manner? For recreational purposes? And in that line of thought, what do those souls think of being used like that?

That's horrible. You die and you become someone's decoration. That's morbid. Well, it would be even _more_ morbid if they used the body instead of the soul as decoration. _Why am I thinking of that stuff while eating breakfast?!_ I had to stop that.

Also, I've been in Gensokyo _far, far_ too long.

A rattling came, and I noticed the chandelier shaking. I stopped swallowing what was in my mouth, my eyes fixated on the clanking crystals. For a split second, my thoughts turned to Flandre doing something in the house, but I waved it off, as the vibrations didn't repeat. Nagato and Sakuya looked up as well, as I saw from the corner of my eye. Patchouli either didn't hear it, or didn't care. _Maybe I'm just jumpy._

And believe it or not, Nagato asked a question - which happened to be a good question.

"If youkai are at full strength tonight, should there be any cause for concern?"

_My concern are that there are youkai in the first place, but that's an even better concern._

"It can be dangerous for humans during the full moon in Gensokyo, but neither of you should worry. For one, according to Remi, Kyon belongs to us." Patchouli gave me a shrug when she saw me raise an eyebrow at that statement. "Her words. Not mine." She turned back to Nagato. "But we won't let him off of the grounds. He'll be safe in our yard."

_That's good to hear, even though I slightly resent being labeled as Remilia's property._ However, as Remilia put it to Reimu the last time I was there, a servant of Remilia's has perks. And one of those perks happened to be the delicious breakfast before me.

Fine. I'm her servant then. Bring on more blueberry muffins!

"And two, I doubt you have much to worry about, Miss Nagato. From what I hear, you can take care of yourself."

"I guess that's good to hear." I grabbed another blueberry muffin. _Man, these things are good! _ "So, how's the party going to be like?"

"A lavish party thrown by Remi. She loves doing those. Buffets, bars, overindulgence, music. And we hope to have a good turnout. You see, we've invited the major players of Gensokyo to join us in the full moon celebration. Hakugyokorou, the Yakumos, Miss Margatroid, Kirisame, and Miss Hakurei. And the Prismrivers will be the entertainment."

"Oh okay. So that's what Lyrica was saying."

"Mmm-hmm." Patchouli's gaze then rested on my fellow Brigade associate. "Oh, and Nagato, we'd like for you to play the guitar, if you don't mind. Remi _loved_ your performance. It was all she could talk about a week after seeing it."

Nagato paused, fork with a waffle piece near her open mouth, blinking at Patchouli. Her eyes glanced over to me, as if asking me "what should I do?" I shrugged, telling her to go for it. Nagato then returned her gaze to the librarian.

"I'll think about it."

Patchouli nodded at her as Sakuya placed a stack of blueberry waffles in front of the librarian. Patchouli's eyes sparkled in response to what she was about to eat. This was actually the biggest emotional reaction I'd seen from Patchouli.

"Ah, fresh blueberries." Patchouli allowed herself to smile, as she poured syrup all over her waffles. "They are very good for the brain, you know. Helps with memory, eyesight, and has a slight anti-aging effect. Now _this_ is a great way to start the day," she said, before her gaze went to most of the other food-stuffs on the table. "Barring all of this fried food."

I never knew that about blueberries. I'd later learn that it was _wild_ blueberries that have the best properties. Cultivated, farmed blueberries are less potent. Safer, but less potent.

Patchouli took a bite of the waffles, chewed and swallowed before continuing. "Delicious." She nodded at Sakuya in approval, who curtsied, and then left the room. Patchouli took a few seconds to look at her surroundings, and let out a sigh. "You know, I forget how nice it is here in the dining room. Normally I eat in my library."

"Why's that?" I asked.

I got my answer the next second.

_CRASH!_

What happened was that the ceiling came down right over the table, the chandelier coming down first. The table collapsed in half, and the food flew.

I nearly jumped out of my chair. Thankfully Nagato and I weren't hit by any of that or any debris, but Patchouli's waffles and drink flew into her face, covering her in blueberry syrup and orange juice.

When the dust settled, I saw that it was only a small part of the ceiling that could cover the table that had fallen. Perfectly, almost as if it was intended to be only that part to fall.

And who else could be the cause of it?

Flandre stood there on what used to be the second floor's floor, which was then right in the middle of the dining room. Her eyes were widened, her mouth agape.

_I have a feeling that Yuyuko is going to be disappointed_.

_Screw that! Is everyone okay?_

I took a few seconds to really assess the damage. Other than the table and the food, there was no damage to anything else, or to anyone, for that matter. The only thing amiss was Patchouli covered in that stuff, if you don't count the debris where the table used to be. Weirdly enough, or luckily enough, the table and ceiling didn't collapse on our legs, which were under the table. It's kind of hard to explain, because even I don't know how that happened. Maybe the chandelier's impact caused the table to break apart first? I don't know. But there were no injuries. Miraculous, really.

Also, what was amiss was that my delicious breakfast was cut short.

Sakuya, who had left the room to get something from the kitchen, returned, pitcher of milk in hand - which she dropped when she saw what Flandre did. Sakuya's eyes just widened. Milk and glass shards splattered all over the floor.

"Oh...oh..." Flandre stammered. "Uh...Hi again."

For a second, I considered responding to Flandre, but I couldn't. I was stunned, to tell the truth. Nagato just stared at the vampire, turned her head to the floor, and picked up a clean muffin that had managed to stay inside a breadbasket. Nagato slowly ate it.

I envied Nagato's "composure" at times. Also, I'm guessing Nagato was enjoying the meal. Thankfully I still had a glass of orange juice in my hand, which I took the time to finish.

Flandre glanced at all of us, her eyes eventually settling on the blue-and-orange colored Patchouli. Flandre stared in horror at Patchouli, like a child who just got caught doing something _really _bad just as their parents walked in. Which, I suppose, applied in that case, barring the parent thing. I've never seen a child bring down a ceiling before, but there you go. First time for everything, I guess.

The librarian silently stared at the vampire, juice and syrup dripping off her face, her lips pursed, jaw clenched, as if she was keeping herself from yelling.

"Oh...Patchi...uhm..." Flandre struggled to come up with something, ultimately failing to do so. "...please don't tell Remi..."

As if on cue to that, I heard a thundering of footsteps from the hall.

I wondered if I should take cover.

They quickly approached, and the doors swung open. Again, that same door that Flandre had knocked loose before went off it's hinges.

There stood Remilia, who took a second to see the destruction of her dining room, and then she went right to glaring at her little sister, obviously about to blow a gasket - Remilia's wings shook with rage.

_**"FLAN!"**_ Remilia's shout actually shook my bones, and made the doors and windows rattle.

Flandre held up a hand, as if to calm down her elder sister.

"Now, now, Remi, I can explain..."

_I'd actually like to hear that explanation. What explanation is there for bringing the second floor to the first floor?_

"I was just playing hopscotch!"

_What._

I then noticed the chalk outlines on the former second floor's floor. It appeared that Flandre was telling the truth about hopscotch.

_I need to ask just __**how**__ powerful Flandre really is, sooner or later. Then again, would I really want to know?_ Because that is scary. She broke the floor just playing. Her just being a normal girl caused destruction.

Upon hearing that lunacy, the Scarlet Devil moved - quicker than I thought possible. Flandre also moved, bolting from her sister at possibly the same speed. They were out of the dining room in a matter of seconds, Flandre squealing like the child she looked like, apparently finding fun in the fact she was being chased by her sister.

_Getting a knife thrown at me. Flandre breaking the doors and a chair. Fake-out blood cakes. And this - Flandre crashing through the ceiling._ _Eating in the Scarlet Devil Mansion is never dull._ As long as I or anybody else didn't get hurt, it was all good, I suppose.

After the Scarlets were gone, Sakuya, who had her lips pursed, let out a sigh. She stared at the mess for a few seconds longer before she pointed at a few maids that were in the room, snapped her fingers, and pointed at the mess. The maids went to work as Sakuya held onto her head like she had the biggest migraine in the world. She groaned when she noticed that she was standing in a puddle of milk.

_I'm living in a cartoon._

I myself took about a minute to ponder what just happened. There I was, having breakfast with Nagato and Patchouli, everything all nice, and _boom_. Flandre. I was amazed that nothing hit me. I was free from any food stuffs staining my clothes, and I wasn't hit at all by any of that falling debris. Same went for Nagato - and she sat there, blinking a few times, staring at the mess before her, half-eaten muffin in hand.

I nodded at Nagato.

"Unique?"

She nodded back.

"Unique."

Which was putting it lightly.

_Seriously, is this what Patchouli, Remilia, Sakuya, Koakuma, and Meiling have to put up with on a daily basis? Life with that little force of destruction?_ My little sister was a normal little girl, and she could be a little terror at times, but I shudder to think of what Flandre has done over the years.

Speaking of Patchouli, she was still covered in blueberries and orange juice. A distressed Koakuma was patting down the librarian with a towel of some sort in an attempt to clean her up, but Patchouli then stood up, and glanced at the two of us - making a statement before she stormed out of the room.

"And _this_, Kyon and Nagato, is _why_ I eat my meals in my library."

Now, the reason _why_ she stormed out of the room was because I laughed at what she said.

_Sorry, Patchouli._

And suffice to say, Yuyuko was disappointed. She and Youmu had to go back to Hakugyokorou. Call me crazy, but Yuyuko seemed to be on the verge of tears when she saw the damage to the dining room - she may have uttered "that's a crime".

* * *

After cleaning up, Patchouli invited us to the library, where we spent the next few hours. Patchouli appeared to find Nagato fascinating, and was asking all sorts of questions, asking to confirm or debunk theories, and the like. Nagato wasn't as silent as she was the previous day, it seemed she calmed down a bit. Patchouli was asking Nagato's opinions on certain aspects of the events that had happened the previous year with the Brigade, or to confirm what happened. Mostly stuff I already knew.

Patchouli was also helping Nagato with questions about Gensokyo itself - that the Scarlet Devil Mansion came into Gensokyo in the early 1970's, their dealings in the Scarlet Mist Incident, and the like.

Patchouli also offered Nagato free reign in her library, which actually got a little response from Nagato - she sat there blinking, as if a bit stunned, before her gaze went to the vast expanse that was the SDM's library. _I wonder if that makes her happy._

I for one, was grateful that Patchouli and Nagato were getting along. I was worried that Nagato wouldn't take to Gensokyo as well as she was.

I had the chance to ask Patchouli what happened regarding the whole "watch the S.O.S. Brigade" thing. Apparently Yukari took the group to witness the major events regarding the S.O.S. Brigade first-hand by travelling through time. The forming of the Brigade, my associates revealing themselves to me, the end of the world, and the like, were viewed by the girls who saw me off when I left Gensokyo.

Nagato said she didn't detect anything for those events, so I'm guessing Yukari was able to avoid that detection somehow.

Again, it's disturbing to know that people watched you as you were living your life. I mean, I guess it's good to get the people of Gensokyo up to speed, but for that extreme? To show them my life? I feel almost violated. At least Patchouli said that Alice refrained from watching too much. I asked how the puppeteer was doing, and found out that Alice was busy with something - she said that she was "close to a breakthrough", according to Patchouli. I then asked how Reimu and Marisa were doing...and found out that nobody had seen either of them for a while. Same thing went for Yukari.

Patchouli assured me that Reimu had to be alive, since the Hakurei Border was still intact. It was just that nobody knew where any of them were. Further questions on my part didn't get any answers, since Patchouli didn't know.

It bothered me. I might be paranoid, but with the Sky Canopy Domain running around...

But still - Patchouli was right. If Reimu was _gone_, then Gensokyo would have been exposed to my world. And from what I could tell, Gensokyo was still in its status of being a closed space. No news of fantastical beings being found. So, the Hakurei barrier still had to be up.

But for the three of them to be missing? Well, Patchouli didn't _say_ they were missing...just that nobody has seen them.

I was a bit worried, to tell the truth.

There was one thing she had for me, however.

"Kyon, drink this."

She had Koakuma hand over a vial. It was small, and had some red liquid in it. As I'm not one to just drink down whatever is handed to me, especially something that's in a test tube, I asked what it was.

"Drink it. It should be safe."

"'Should be'? You know, I'm not in the habit of just drinking anything someone gives to me."

"Trust me on this."

Reluctantly, I popped the cap on it, and took a whiff.

_Cherry blossoms..._ It smelled of cherry blossoms. There were other scents, but the main one was of cherry blossoms. _No way._

I had an idea what it was. What it had to be. Taking a leap of faith in Patchouli, I drank it, and while it tasted terrible (like very strong medicine), it made my body warm. It was a familiar feeling, one that I got during a certain excursion in the extended winter. And it came along with causing a certain magical reaction. The air expelled from my location, and my body glowed with a red aura.

_Holy crap._

The familiar symbol was back. The Paranormal Border.

Nagato just stared, a bit wide-eyed at me, as the familiar red barrier surrounded my body. I had a big grin on my face, as I had my barrier back. I glanced up at Patchouli.

"How? Even when they used the Ayakashi's cherry blossoms on me, it wouldn't work."

Patchouli, grinning over her triumph in doing this, shrugged. "It seems that Alice, Marisa and I can make a very good team when we work together. You see, Kyon, we got Yukari to assist us, actually. We needed to find whatever that alteration was done to you to make the Paranormal Border happen, and simulate it. _Chemically_ simulate it, and put it in with the essence of that abundance of cherry blossoms Koakuma collected. As you can see, it worked."

"Why?"

Patchouli leaned back in her chair, still triumphant.

"We initially wanted to recreate it in the first place, so we can get a barrier with healing properties for anyone. However, it only seems to work with you."

"How did you do this? How did you test it on me without me being here?"

"Simple. We have samples of your blood, remember?"

In a wine bottle. _Don't remind me of that!_

"And that's not all...but I advise you to take cover now."

_What?_

Patchouli then produced a red vial from within her clothes. She then shook it, and threw it at an empty space in the library. It exploded in an array of red sparks. In fact, it looked like..._danmaku._

Shaking, I turned to Patchouli.

"I _drank_ that?"

"Don't worry. It's internally harmless at body temperature, and loses it effectiveness at warmer climates and when in contact with other fluids. It's benign inside your body, and from what I can tell, the chemicals have no side effects. But at colder enviornments, and when it's shaken or agitated, it has an interesting property that nobody expected. It's a danmaku grenade."

"How in the world can a vial of that stuff not only induce the Paranormal Border, but also be a damn _grenade_?"

_And why did I be an idiot and just drink it?_

She shrugged. "I haven't the faintest idea as to why or how it does that. It becomes volatile when shaken up, and for some reason, it becomes a weapon that way. We're still working on _how_ it recreates danmaku chemically, but...so far, nothing. We know Yukari had a direct hand in the workings of it, but the rest of us don't know. So you would have to ask Yukari about the specifics." The librarian then turned to Nagato. "And speaking _of_ danmaku...well, Nagato, if you are going to be here in Gensokyo, I think there is one thing you might learn to do. In fact, you _need_ to learn it." The librarian turned to Koakuma. "Go and fetch Meiling. Have her meet us in the training room."

Koakuma bowed and left.

I had a feeling I knew what they were going to teach Nagato.

How to play a little game.

Still, I was a bit amazed by the fact that I had my Paranormal Border back. I'd later learn that it also had its healing properties as well.

Learn the hard way.

But I digress.

* * *

The Scarlet Devil Mansion, while less intimidating in the daylight, was still somewhat of a maze. Thankfully, Patchouli easily led us down a series of hallways, while discussing to Nagato the rules of Danmaku, and into a room.

_Called it. They're going to go and teach Nagato how to play._

I also want to say this. That vial left a bad taste in my mouth. Like I said, it tasted like strong medicine, and felt like medicine. I had asked Patchouli what _exactly_ made up the drink, but she gave me a smirk, saying "you don't want to know."

Considering I put it in my body, I'd like to know. Also, one shouldn't say that _after_ one ingests such a cocktail.

Anyways, back to where we were led.

It was a training room of some kind. Mats on the floor, against the walls. It was a fairly large room, about as big as a standard middle school gym. Heck, after a few seconds, that's what my mind labeled it - a gym. Various equipment lined the walls, and they looked quite old. The most prominent thing was a collection of fencing equipment and gear, including gear that fit a child. I guess a noblewoman like Remilia took an interest in fencing. Meiling was there, her back to us, but apparently taping up her hands and putting on fingerless gloves. Koakuma was helping Meiling in that regard. There were also a number of fairies there, a few cleaning the equipment, and the rest seemingly hanging around shirking their cleaning duties, talking to each other.

I smiled at Patchouli.

"I take it you don't come in here that often?"

"Ah, no. My asthma keeps me from exerting myself too much." She blinked at the equipment, an almost nostalgic look on her face. "It's a pity. Remi and I used to fence a lot."

Before she could further go into that, Meiling turned, smiling, as she finished taping herself up.

"Ah, morning you guys." Meiling grinned, putting her hands on her hips. "So, Lady Patch...while I have an _idea_ of what you want me to do..."

"Meiling, I want you to teach Nagato how to engage in Danmaku."

I smiled. _This is going to get interesting!_

* * *

The two were in the center of the room, Meiling cracking her knuckles, and Nagato standing there like she usually does. Patchouli and I were sitting at a table in the corner of the room, Koakuma nearby.

"What I want you to do," Meiling said, "Yuki, is attack me. Danmaku style, physical, whatever. Just attempt to take me down."

Nagato blinked at Meiling, and then turned to me, as if asking "should I?" Before I could answer, Meiling smirked.

"Yuki, what are you looking to him for? Asking him won't help. You _won't_ hit me, even if you tried."

_Meiling, are you sure it's a good idea to taunt Nagato? She was able to protect me from Ryoko's almost-instantaneous attacks._

But wasn't this what I wondered? In my talk with Sakuya, I had asked myself if Nagato would be able to take on the girls of Gensokyo. And it was about to happen. However, there shouldn't be anything wrong, right? Danmaku is simply knock-out magic. Nothing bad should happen to Nagato.

Nagato turned back to Meiling, her eyes slightly narrowed, as if she was slightly irked by Meiling's statement of not going to be hit. Meiling motioned for Nagato to attack her.

"C'mon, Yuki. Let's see what you got. If you're _afraid_, then I'd underst-"

Nagato moved - she was a blur. The blur seemed to circle around Meiling, and then-

The blur stopped. Meiling had caught Nagato's hand.

_How did that happen?!_

You see, Nagato had moved extremely fast, circled around Meiling in an attempt to...I guess overwhelm or throw off the guard, and then struck. Well, attempted to strike. Nagato failed to strike Meiling.

And mind you, again, this is a girl who managed to fend off Asakura's barrage of attacks all the while defending me.

The Human Interface's eyes widened just a bit. Meiling stood there, smiling, as her hand tightened around Nagato's wrist.

"Not bad, Yuki. Not bad at all. But if you really wanna have a chance against me, I suggest you try Danmaku."

And with that, Meiling flung Nagato onto her back, _hard_. Nagato made a sound one makes when they get the wind knocked out of them, and just stared up at her opponent. Meiling adjusted her gloves as she stood over Nagato, still grinning.

Never really thought I'd ever see Nagato get taken down that way. Instinctively, I took a few steps towards this, wanting to see if Nagato was okay. Patchouli, who was still sitting next to me, tugged in my sleeve. Turning around to her, she simply shook her head.

"Don't interfere."

"Ah, don't feel bad, Yuki. Physically, there are few that can best me. Your best bet at beating me is playing that game. I don't know why I'm not too good at Danmaku, but I just ain't." The chief guard scratched her head under her beret before pulling Nagato up. "At most, I am capable, and I guess you can say I'm average in it and all. So, _if_ you can beat me, then you have a good chance against most things here in Gensokyo. This is for your own good."

And with that, Meiling brought up a spell card, holding it between two fingers.

I was worried. We were in a rather enclosed area, and I didn't want to be caught in any stray fire. Patchouli, seemingly sensing my disdain, chuckled.

"Don't worry. I've set up a seal in this room a year ago. As long as we are near the walls, we won't be hit by any danmaku. The matted area in the center of the room is the playing field."

"Yuki," chirped Meiling. "Dodge this spell card."

[SPELL CARD: RAINBOW SIGN "RAINBOW WIND CHIME"]

After backing up a bit, and going into the air, Meiling began to spin around, seemingly shooting random danmaku that had all the colors of the rainbow. She spun clockwise, then counter, then clockwise again, just firing.

My body had tensed because I was in the line of fire of this, and I hoped that Patchouli was right about that seal. Which turned out to be true - Meiling's attacks dissipated before reaching us.

Anyways, Nagato. Nagato was moving fast, finding the holes in the attack, and staying a step ahead of where Meiling's shots were going. To me, it was chaotic, but Nagato made it look easy to avoid.

I began to see a pattern in Meiling's attack. Four waves, somewhat like a cross, of danmaku. Conversely, it left an empty cross - four waves of emptiness, where someone could just stay in to avoid the shots. Figuring it out, it seemed like such a simple spell card to me. Even I could avoid it, possibly on foot.

"This is one of my opening attack spell cards, Yuki," shouted Meiling. "This isn't the real deal! But even if it doesn't seem like much, this can still take out waves of lesser youkai who challenge me. And so far...so far you appear to be more than a lesser youkai. That's good."

It wasn't long before Meiling ended her spell card, smiling. She nodded at the interface.

"That's very good, Yuki. Low level youkai can't get through that. Good to know you aren't one of them."

_Of course she isn't._ And to tell the truth, I fist-pumped after seeing Nagato survive a spell card. Made me feel proud for some reason.

Nagato nodded. Meiling began to pace in the air, arms crossed.

"But Danmaku isn't just about attacking. If you think it's all about attacking, then you've lost sight of it's true meaning...well, the meaning I've found in it. It's also self-expression. It's an art form." Meiling stopped pacing, and pointed a finger up in the air. "It's about baring your soul to another person, saying 'this is how my heart beats'."

_Getting poetic there, aren't you, Meiling?_

Meiling's face was serious by then, as she continued with her speech and pacing.

"Your patterns show your true self, how you are in the inside. So I wonder...how is this machine on the inside?"

_What is she getting at? Also, would Nagato be offended by a statement like that?_

Nagato showed no expression as Meiling continued.

"How is your beating heart, Yuki? You...you have a rather poetic side too, don't you?" Meiling floated closer to Nagato. "I mean, you did name yourself after witnessing your first snowfall. Yes, I know about that. If that isn't poetic, then I don't know what is." The guard then let out a little sigh, her eyes narrowing. "In a way, the two of us are alike. Before I met Milady, I didn't know my place in the world. I didn't even have a name. I had no identity, no purpose. I was given one, like you. The only difference between us in that regard is that you named yourself, and I was named. But our names are poetic, aren't they? Granted, my name is a bit..." Meiling grinned, twirling one of her braids. "...literal, if I may say so. 'Scarlet Beautiful Belle'."

_So that __**was**__ for real!_ That daydream I had of Remilia and Meiling was for real! Creepy.

"So..." Meiling said. "You think you can make up a spell card on the spot then, right?"

Nagato took a few seconds, and responded with a single nod.

Meiling smirked, and rubbed her chin. "All right. Here." Meiling tossed Nagato a spell card. "This is one of my weaker ones. You can alter the data of it or whatever it is you do to make it yours. But this is a little something I want you to try: think back to that time you saw that snowflake, Yuki. How you held it in your hand. Think back to that time when you named yourself. I want to see what was in your heart at that moment. I want you to make up a spell card to capture that moment within your heart, give it a meaningful name, and unleash it against me. Easy, Normal, Hard, or Lunatic - it doesn't matter."

Nagato stood there, nodding a bit. Slightly lowering her head, she closed her eyes. I don't know why - maybe to remember, truly remember. For her to make such a dramatic action (for Nagato, anyway) surprised me, actually. She took a deep breath, and opened her eyes again. She outstretched her right hand, the spell card...changing color? Changing color from green to blue.

To say that I was interested to see what kind of spell card Nagato would come up with was putting it lightly. I know I've referred to Nagato's abilities as "bogus magic", but now she was going to use real magic.

_Real magic._ Two words that shouldn't even be together. _What a world I live in._

"Remember, Yuki," Meiling called out, "Danmaku, okay? Just use that attack in your attempt to knock me out. I don't need to be killed in a training room. It'd be a pretty anticlimactic way for my life to end."

_I'd have to agree._

Nagato held up the spell card with her left hand, reading it in her monotone voice. The lettering began to glow, and when she finished, it activated. Nagato had just used a spell card.

[SPELL CARD: LOW TEMPERATURE SCIENCE "UKICHIRO'S SNOW CRYSTALS"]

Ice began to materialize around Nagato, in the shape of snowflakes - all kinds. When they reached a certain size, they exploded into danmaku, and homed in on Meiling. Grinning, the guard then went on the defensive - ducking, dodging, and avoiding all that she could. As the time passed, the snowflakes began to increase in number, leaving smaller holes for Meiling to thread - until she got hit by a snowflake from behind her.

You see, some of the snowflakes had been building a 'wall' of sorts behind Meiling. After it had enough, it started to shoot out from behind the guard. Meiling didn't see it form back there. I didn't know whether to be impressed with Nagato or a bit angry with her for using such an underhanded move. But it was a clean hit. Meiling hit the ground rather hard as Nagato ended her spell card. There was silence for a while, until Meiling began to chuckle.

Meiling shook, as she slowly got up off the ground. She still smiled.

"...yeah...yeah that was a good one. Nice job, Yuki."

Applause from some of the fairy maids, as well as Patchouli and Koakuma broke the silence. Patchouli smiled as she continued to sip her tea.

"Ah, Ukichiro."

I nodded slowly as I remembered about the guy.

Ukichiro Nakaya. Japanese Scientist. He opened the Low Temperature Science Laboratory, and he was the first to create true Artificial Snowflakes.

_Artificial snowflakes..._

Patchouli turned to the Human Interface, winking, saying what was on my mind, actually.

"And that's what it's all about, isn't it, Nagato? Artificial can be just as amazing as natural. That's what you're saying, isn't it?"

_Considering that I do find Nagato to be attractive, I agree._ Of course I didn't say that one out loud. It was interesting for Nagato to be this poetic.

At that point, I would have said that we were reading too much into it, but what I was seeing then stunned me.

Nagato was smiling. Not in a big grin, but just enough. It must have been a smile of accomplishment.

Sad that it wouldn't last, because we were interrupted by giggling. Giggling, from the doorway, I knew who it was, _who_ it had to be, and felt that dread. It was Flandre. She must have lost her sister.

_Someone needs to put a bell on her._

"You know, Yuki...you are pretty good. But are you a master dodger? I mean, yeah, lower youkai can't avoid Meiling's spell cards, but can you avoid...I dunno..."

In a flash, Flandre had moved from the doorway, and was in Nagato's face, smiling.

"Can you avoid my spell cards? They're a lotta fun!"

As soon as Flandre said that, the maids that were in the room _ran_ from the room; the ones who were cleaning just simply left their supplies. Koakuma did the same, leaving Patchouli behind. It was just me, Patchouli, Meiling, Nagato, and Flandre.

"Patchouli, should we run?"

The librarian set down her tea, and slowly got up, clearly annoyed that her servant ran off.

"I think that would be wise, Kyon."

"That seal won't protect us from Flandre's attacks, will it?"

"Nope."

"Oh, you're gonna love this one..." giggled Flandre as she circled Nagato. "It's a timeout card. I used it on Reimu and Marisa. They barely survived it. Can you?"

_I don't want to see what kind of card that Marisa and Reimu "barely survived!"_

I was torn. Part of me wanted to run screaming...I mean, tactfully retreat from the room, but the other part of me wanted to stay for Nagato. I don't know why - because I wouldn't have done any good in that situation.

"Lady Flan," said Meiling, from the floor as she struggled to get back up. "Lady Flan please reconsider! I don't know if what you're-"

"Nagato!" I shouted. "Run!" She just stared at the vampire before her. I don't know what she was doing.

Oh, and by the way, the spell card was a Taboo.

_Crap crap crap!_

[SpElL cArD: sEcReT "aNd ThEn ThErE wErE nOnE"]

Flandre called out that spell card, but she didn't get a chance to use it, thankfully.

[SPELL CARD: DIVINE LANCE "SPEAR THE GUNGNIR"]

A bright red object came out of nowhere, smacking into the vampire. You see, Remilia had shown up and thrown a danmaku version of her spear at her sister. Flandre was knocked out of the air, and bounced off the wall, bounced off the floor, rolling and ending up at Remilia's feet. The elder Scarlet stared down at her sister, crossing her arms.

_Remilia, thank you so much!_

"I'd appreciate it if you would refrain from breaking our guests, and our home, Flan." Remilia said with a tired look on her face. "But...considering what you've done to our dining room, I _really_ want you to fulfill the former half of my request. Can you at least do that much?"

_That might be asking too much of Flandre._

"Yeah." The younger vampire managed to groan. She still hadn't moved from her place on the floor.

Remilia turned to us, her face showing obvious fatigue. "Now, if you'll all excuse me, I need my sleep." She referenced to Flandre. "_We _need our sleep. We have a grand night ahead of us. And I recommend you nap as well. We will be up all night long."

Sakuya had shown up and picked up the younger vampire. "Come along, Lady Flandre. You need to sleep too."

"Awwww, come on, Sakuya." Flandre sulked, crossing her arms as she was being carried away. The danmaku spear must have tired her out - Flandre also looked like she was about to pass out in the arms of the maid. "I wanna stay up and play with Kyon and Nagato and Meiling and everyone!"

_Maybe next time. And by "next time" I mean "never"._ I know I sound like a jerk there, but I _really_ have no interest in playing with Flandre.

* * *

I did manage to speak to Sakuya. Caught up with her at lunch.

Again, she avoided my asking questions, and she appeared to be getting angry. I decided to drop it, apologizing. I really didn't want to tick her off so much, even though I didn't expect her to be so defensive about the whole thing.

_Why am I doing this? Really? Why do I have this weird notion that I can fix problems?_ Ultimately, her faith is something she herself has to face alone. I'd put down the exact conversation we had, but it was essentially a repeat of breakfast. Even Nagato suggested that I let it go.

The rest of the day was rather uneventful. As per Remilia's request, I napped. I for one wanted to at least do something cool like party all night with a vampire. I mean, who can say they did such a thing? Granted, not many people can say they do _half_ the things I've done, but there you go. I'm adding to my paranormal resume. End of the world. Time traveling. Afterlife. The list will go on!

After waking from my nap in my room, I found Nagato sitting on the chair in there reading some of those Agatha Christie novels. I'm also going to point out that I didn't have any visions of Gensokyo during that nap, thankfully. It was one of those dreamless naps - you lay down, close your eyes, and next thing you know you wake up at a later time.

The interface glanced up at me and then back at her book.

"Everything okay, Nagato?"

"Yes."

I got off the bed and stretched. "So...how do you find Gensokyo? Personally. I'd like to hear it."

Nagato blinked a few times, her eyes still down on the pages of the book. "Individually I find it has appeal, barring the dangers of youkai."

"Yeah, that goes without saying, but you don't trust them?"

Nagato closed her book and looked up at me, slightly shaking her head. "No. There can be some trust placed in them. Complete trust is a different matter. I have told you that you may not be able to trust even me. I ask that you do not blindly trust them either."

_The movie._ I slightly nodded. "That was in, what, September, right? You said that back then. As for, well, as for trusting Remilia, at least, I don't think I can give her blind trust. She fed on me, after all." _Which I'm not grateful for._ "Sakuya...I think I can trust her. And Meiling. Patchouli...yeah, I think so too. Koakuma is okay as well."

"Flandre Scarlet?"

"No chance in hell." I said without hesitation. I paused, just looking at Nagato sitting there. I smiled. "You want to know something, Nagato? I'll say it. Out of the entire S.O.S. Brigade - Koizumi, Asahina, Haruhi, and you...I think I trust _you_ the most."

Nagato didn't answer. Just kept staring at me. There was some sort of flicker behind her eyes, but it was tough to tell what kind of response it was.

You know, I haven't really been all that good to Nagato. Koizumi was right - during the time there were two little Asahinas in my time plane, I should have told Nagato what was going on right off the bat.

I'm a jerk. I've been a jerk to her. I keep on taking her for granted. Every time something bad happens, I inwardly tell myself that Nagato will be able to take care of it. All I've done is use her. _I'm a horrible friend._

I moved to get dressed - the maids apparently already cleaned the school clothes we wore into Gensokyo, and I guess we were going to wear that to the party. Fanciest things they had in our sizes I suppose. Nagato spoke up as I passed her to go to the connected bathroom to get changed.

"It is just that they are still youkai. Still 'monsters', if I can apply the term. They still feed on humans."

"Yeah, I know that." I stopped before the door, turning back to her. "Thing is, I'm really in no position to defend myself from the likes of Flandre or most other things should they decide to do something. It's out of my hands."

"I won't let them harm you."

I nodded. "I know. And I'm beyond grateful for it. I just wish I had the power to return the favor for you."

Nagato reopened the book to her place, her chest moving slightly, as if she was taking a deep breath.

"You already have."

She then went back to reading. I still stood there, staring at her. _ Right. The blackmail. The only thing keeping her here. I always say that I'm thankful for Nagato, but I tend to forget that she's thankful for me._

I studied the back of her head, her petite form. Nagato doing what she does best - reading. The way the light bulb shone on her, giving a shine to her lavender hair somehow struck me, which also made me think of how it would be to run my fingers through her hair.

_She really is beautiful._

Maybe under different circumstances, not counting the one concocted by her, Nagato and I could have been together. I had my chance in December, but that was a lie, really. I would have known it was a lie. I would have had to live with it.

_Nagato would deserve much better than me, anyway._

Really? Is that what I was telling myself? I was just justifying my decision. Funny that even months later, I still second guessed myself. I mean, I know I made the right choice, but there were still thoughts of "what if's" that happened. It was an entertaining thought, after all. Me and Nagato as a couple.

As I continued to stand at the door to the bathroom, I wondered how long that alternate Nagato and I would have gone out before...

...

_...she blushes behind her glasses, her overwhelming shyness causing her to bring her hands over her beet-red face as we..._

_..._

_I think I'll take a cold shower while I'm in there._ Damn hormones.

* * *

After getting dressed, I made my way to the window, finding that it was already dark. In actuality, it was already dark when I woke from my nap. I looked down to the yard below - there were tables set up, covered platters, a buffet table, a raised platform (for the Prismrivers to perform on), and a table that had a lot of wine on it.

My gaze went out, into the dark area beyond the SDM's grounds. Beyond the wall, I could clearly see some things moving about in the darkness. It was tough to make out what shape they were.

Then again, I didn't want to know what they were.

_I think I won't venture too far from the building in this party. And I won't go anywhere near that wall._ Hell, I debated whether I should just stay inside all night.

The door swung open. Nagato and I turned.

"Okay, Kyon! Now you're mine for the night! It's time to celebrate!"

_I'm not your property. Unless you have more muffins._

Remilia Scarlet, grinning from ear to ear, stood there at the doorway, showing us her fangs. She was carrying a cane and dressed in all black - black dress, black blouse, black fingerless dress gloves, long black stockings, her mob cap replaced by some sort of mini top hat. She even had some sort of black cape that draped over her bat wings.

Sakuya was with her mistress, in what looked like an even fancier version of her common maid uniform. The best part? The skirt was shorter than usual. _Oh those legs. Thank you, Remilia, for getting Sakuya to wear that. _

Thumbs up? Thumbs up.

We were escorted back to the balcony, overlooking the front yard. Even though the sun had set, one could still feel the summer heat radiate off of the ground. It was indeed a summer's night, a night to be out and about in a festival, to be outside with other people and eat. I could hear the sounds of night life beyond the grounds of the mansion, crickets chirping, wolves howling, and the like. There was also an abundance of fireflies fluttering around, more than I had ever seen. Already the yard was filled with the fairy servants of the mansion - guards and maids alike mingling about down there.

_Now this is summer._

The only thing that would have made it perfect would to have seen the full moon overhead, but clouds were in the way.

Among the crowd of fairies, I think I even saw that kappa, Nitori. I hadn't gotten around to greeting her - she must have been really busy with work. She didn't see me, so I didn't get her attention.

Up on the balcony, there was a private buffet table. I'd get to that in a minute, but there were a few other people up here as well. Patchouli was there, in her usual outfit, along with Koakuma. Flandre was out there, in all black too, pretty much identical to what Remilia was wearing, barring the hat.

"Flan," Remilia said, "Have you calmed down a bit?"

"Yeah, Remi." said Flandre as she rubbed the back of her neck. "No need to knock me out again..." Flandre's eyes then settled on me, a grin forming. "Kyon~! Wanna play something?"

"I think I'll pass on that. I'm sure your sister wants to talk to me." I turned to the elder Scarlet, whispering: "Please talk to me."

Again, I know I sound like a jerk. But I have no intention at all of becoming one of Flandre's _playmates_ and end up in a situation that would possibly put Asakura's intended scenario for me to shame.

Remilia just laughed as Flandre tilted her head, as if wondering what was going on. It wasn't then until I noticed Meiling.

Meiling...Meiling was beautiful. No. Gorgeous. She was in a chinese gown, green, of course, but with an ornate dragon embroidered on it. I dare say, it looked like it had golden trim. Her hair was even bunned up, chinese style. And her dress _really_ did her body justice, accentuating every amazing part of her body, allowing her legs to be shown in nearly all of their glory.

Oh so glorious. _I'm happy to be alive for this night._ I know I sound like Taniguchi, but damn it, Meling in that dress was beyond attractive.

Interesting, however, that Gensokyo had so many beautiful women and girls, but most of would be able to tear a man apart without much effort.

She gave me a single nod in a greeting. Then, she studied my face for a few seconds before smirking.

"You like what I'm wearing, kid?"

_Yes. I'm so happy to be male. _I didn't say that aloud. I gave Meiling a nod. I don't know if Nagato noticed any of my reactions, but if she did, she didn't say anything.

Remilia then tugged on my sleeve, handing me something.

"It's a gift. From a devil to a human."

I studied it. It was a little charm, a Jack-O-Lantern.

_Gift from a devil to a human. Jack-O-Lantern. Really, Remilia? That's quite literal, isn't it?_

The story of the Jack-O-Lantern. A sinful man named Jack had tricked the devil into a deal, where the devil would never take his soul. After the man died, he was deemed too sinful to be let into heaven, and the devil upheld his end of the deal, so Jack didn't go to hell. Jack was stuck on earth. The devil gave him an ember that never died out. Jack's soul put it into a carved turnip, and endlessly wandered the Earth with it to find a final resting place.

The Jack-O-Lantern is the light given to a lost soul by the devil. And this one was given to me by the Scarlet Devil.

"Well, thank you, Mistress. But...I'm not really lost in the darkness right now, if that's what you mean by giving me this."

"Maybe so. But what about the darkness of the future? I had Patchi enhance that thing with a few special enchantments that should benefit you. Even Yukari helped out with it." Remilia had Sakuya fill up a wine glass with blood. It was in a different colored bottle than mine was, so it was someone else. I was still not used to seeing such a thing. "We saw Suou's attempts to sway you to her side. Thankfully they didn't work, but she might try again, with more power. That pumpkin charm should resist her influence."

"That's great, I guess," I said as I held it up, studying it more closely. "But isn't it kind of weird that a vampire gives me a Jack-O-Lantern? Wasn't it believed for a while that the light from one of these things could identify vampires?"

Remilia's eyebrow rose, and an amused look crossed her face after taking a sip.

"Ah. Amazing you know that. A lot of people have forgotten that old belief. I think it may or may not be true, but...you've been brushing up on your folklore, haven't you?"

"Considering the company I keep," I said as I pocketed the trinket. "I think it's handy."

"That's true."

And then, out of nowhere-

_"Oh, the fruite loved of boyhood, the old days recalling, when wood-grapes were purpling and brown nuts were falling. When wild, ugly faces we carved in its skin, glaring out through the dark with a candle within."_

That was Nagato. She didn't say it with any flourish or gusto, but flatly, as usual. We all turned to the human interface. She stood there, plate of pie in hand. She simply said three sentences before she began to eat.

"John Greenlear Whittier. 1807. 'The Pumpkin'."

Remilia gave the interface a single nod of approval. "Very good, Miss Nagato."

_Nagato smiling, Nagato quoting out of nowhere...something is up._ She was acting unusual.

However, there was a more pressing issue at hand. Namely, my hunger, which had its interest piqued when it saw the food in Nagato's hand. I made my way to the table. It was an English buffet - pork pies, cold meats, broccoli quiche, potato salad, cucumber salad, your breads, scotch eggs, and of course tea, among other things.

_I'm going to get fat._ Seriously. As I ate some food, it crossed my mind that I was going to be gaining some serious weight for all I've eaten. Of course, another thought crossed my mind. I had to ask Sakuya which foods were safe to eat. I didn't want any surprising..."strawberry fillings" in my meal.

"Just avoid the platters with a red trim. Those are for non-humans," was her reply. I took it to heart - and avoided the scotch eggs. I advised Nagato to do the same. I studied one without touching it, and found it to have a hint of red. _Yep, avoiding that._ As if Remilia and Flandre having a few of them on their plates wasn't an obvious flag.

At Remilia's request, we sat down to eat, as she said that the invited guests were pretty late already. _Reimu, Marisa, the Prismrivers, and everyone they asked to show up._ I was getting worried, to tell the truth. I voiced my opinions, only to be met with "it shouldn't be anything serious."

Nagato, Patchouli, Remilia, Flandre and I sat down at a small table on the balcony. Koakuma and Sakuya stood behind their respective masters. Meiling was leaning against the railing, looking down at the yard, plate of pie in hand. Even when she was dressed nice she still retained some vigilance.

"Kyon," Remilia said after taking a sip of blood. Thankfully, not mine. "It's been awhile. I've been busy overseeing the final construction, and now we can finally sit together and talk. Your life has just been so amazing. And I commend you on somehow finding a way to survive everything that is thrown at you."

"Thanks, I guess."

"So, would you have gone through with smacking Haruhi?"

I nearly spat out the food I had in my mouth, and had to put down my fork. _I'm not going to hear the end of this, am I?_ I pursed my lips, clenching my jaw. When I looked back up at Remilia, she was grinning.

"Just giving you a hard time." Remilia twirled her fork. "I would have gone through with it, Koizumi be damned. Brat like that needs to be taught a lesson. She doesn't own Mikuru."

I swallowed, washing it down with some tea, and stared at her for a few seconds. "I thought you said that you were her dark half. And besides, don't you 'own' your servants?"

I saw Sakuya narrow her eyes at that statement. _Hope I didn't offend her._

"Ah, but that's different." Remilia smiled, showing me her fangs. "_I _can get away with it. You smack me, you die."

_I don't doubt that. I wouldn't be stupid enough to do such a thing. _

I nodded and turned back to my meal, not wanting it to get cold, when I noticed the other Scarlet. Flandre was just staring at me, grinning. Not eating, not drinking, but just slightly rocking back and forth in her chair, grinning at me. The only thing that this scene needed was a creepy child's music box playing a tinny song. I leaned over to Nagato, and whispered the following:

"You think you can protect me in case Flandre does something?"

Nagato actually paused, before giving me a nod. It was almost as if she herself wasn't sure about that. I also had no interest in finding out who was more powerful - Flan, or a data entity, as amusing a scenario it was.

Remilia raised a glass.

"Barring all of that, may I propose a toast?"

The rest of us followed suit as Remilia continued.

"You see, tonight is a special night, for more than one reason. Way more than one reason. It seems that July 15th has become a sort of special date for us at the Scarlet Devil Mansion. It resonates with me. Back in Europe, on July 15th, 1914, ninety years ago today, I met my good friend Patchouli." The vampire motioned towards the librarian, who merely gave a single nod. "On July 15th, 1973, forty-one years ago, we moved here to Gensokyo." I noticed Remilia's eyes fall on Meiling for a few seconds before getting back to what she was saying. "And of course, last year, July 15th, 2003..." Remilia paused, lowering her eyes. "We...well...we fell to Reimu and Marisa's assault." I saw Sakuya's eyes lower. She still was not proud of it. "But we gained allies because of it."

Remilia lifted the glass up even higher.

"So here are to allies. " Remilia then referenced to me and Nagato. "To the S.O.S. Brigade, to the Scarlet Devil Mansion, to Gensokyo." She glanced up to the clock tower. "...however, most of those allies aren't here. It's already 10:30. Sakuya, you _did_ send the invitations, right?"

"Yes, Milady. I do not understand why everyone is late."

"Remi." Patchouli said as she pointed up.

The clouds were moving, and were going to give way to the full moon.

"Damn." The vampire sighed as she got up - we didn't even complete the toast, her face a mask of disappointment. "How rude of everyone to not show up on time. Now I have to give my speech without them being present." She adjusted her top hat, still grumbling. "They'd better have a damn good reason why they didn't show when I wanted them to."

_Who's a brat, Remilia?_ Of course I didn't say that out loud.

Remilia moved to the edge of the balcony, looking down. She rapped her cane on the railing, and all the fairies down there looked up, the yard going silent. When she had everyone's attention, Remilia spread out her arms, with a flourish.

"Tonight is our full moon night! Tonight we bask in the glow of power! Tonight is when we Youkai are allowed to reign! I want to thank you all, again, for being here with us at the Scarlet Devil Mansion. The past few months have been tough on us; remembering the dead, rebuilding our home! But we know that the fairies who lost their lives during that endless winter will be reborn! That is the cycle of life!"

_So fairies get reincarnated then?_ I'd later learn that was true.

"We have rebuilt ourselves to our former glory! The Scarlet Devil Mansion is finally rebuilt..." Remilia then slightly turned her head, looking at her sister, and lowering her voice. Her eyes showed a bit of disapproval. "_...barring the dining room..."_ Flandre just shrugged at her sister, and Remilia then turned back to her audience, her voice back to speech mode. "And to all of you who have replaced those we have lost, we are grateful for your servitude. _I_ am grateful for your servitude. It's nights like these where you are rewarded for your efforts in serving me! So, please, everyone enjoy themselves!"

The fairies from below cheered, just as the night became lighter. The clouds were clearing the moon. Everyone looked up to view it.

"..."

Something was...I don't know, off. Something was _off_ about the situation. You ever get that feeling, that feeling that the situation isn't right? Staring at that moon made me feel uncomfortable. I turned to the vampire, only to see that Remilia's jaw had dropped, as if she was surprised by something.

"That isn't the full moon. That's papier mache."

We all turned to Nagato, who said that while staring up at it. _Papier mache?!_ I couldn't even believe what she said.

"_What?_"

Before Remilia could get an answer to that, a howl, from somewhere outside the walls of the Mansion's grounds. Not of a wolf...but of something _bigger_. And then another howl. And another. Soon, the night was filled with them. Then we heard screaming. We got up from the table, and looked down from the balcony, to witness a bunch of animal-like beings jumping over the wall, going for the maids.

_The fairies! The fairies are being attacked!_

The beings were hard to make-out - they looked to be just black in color - their fur, the shadows, or both made it next to impossible to discern what they were. The maids were the ones screaming, as they all started to run for the house. A few fairy guards began to fend off these things, but there were more and more coming over the wall. Remilia took a single step forward, her fists clenching.

"Meiling."

The guard turned her head to her mistress. Already Meiling's face was serious, as she quickly taped up her hands and wrists like a fighter does. She had let her hair down, and put it in a ponytail. I think she knew what Remilia was going to order her to do. "Milady?"

Without taking her eyes off of what was transpiring before her, Remilia simply said one word - the edge on her voice apparent.

_"Kill."_

_Oh don't tell me I'm gonna actually see this._

In a flash, the chief guard jumped down, onto one of the creatures, I'm guessing breaking it's back - but she wasn't done with it. She went about snapping the neck of the creature to end its life, and left it there. Meiling went from target to target, using her martial arts to take on the creatures, and to snap necks. She did it so fluidly - the definition of poetry in motion, but very very violent. Each strike hit its mark, and she effortlessly went from one target to the next. It was like a video game.

The thing is, as Meiling kept at it, she appeared to get even more violent. The graceful kicks, strikes, and merciful neck snaps gave way to her ripping the creatures apart with her bare hands. Soon, all the creatures were down, save for one. Meiling brought out a spell card as she moved to the final target.

[SPELL CARD: THREE STEPS "COLORFUL MOUNTAIN CRUSHER"]

The last creature she got to, she struck it in the gut, stunning it. Then, she gave it a quick shoulder block, and then followed it immediately with a _huge_ uppercut, launching it up into the sky - I dare say "Team Rocket Style". I didn't see where it went. I didn't even see if it landed. It disappeared into the heavens.

That's what the spell card was, apparently - a super-charged uppercut attack by Meiling.

And yes. I _did_ inwardly say "Team Rocket is blasting off agaaaaaain!" as I watched it get launched.

It hadn't taken a full minute for Meiling to clear house. She stood there, taking deep breaths, cracking her knuckles while staring at her handiwork, and I could barely hear what she said.

"I thought I told all you youkai out there. This is _my_ yard."

_Okay, not gonna lie. I'm afraid of Meiling now._

I wonder. Would that add to her power or whatnot?

I have to say...watching Meiling do that was unsettling. Just a few minutes ago, she was having a good time, and at Remilia's order, became the most efficient killing machine I could ever imagine. Then again, she is the original Scarlet Devil, isn't she? It's just so weird to know a person and see such a side of them. Even though I heard of Meiling's capabilities, to actually see it put into practice? To witness her tear apart enemies? It was scary.

Not the time to think. More howls. More creatures, this time more numerous. The maids still standing were helping up the ones who got injured before Meiling went down there. They were the new targets for these creatures. Meiling started up her killing spree again, but it wouldn't be enough. I'm guessing Remilia knew this too.

"Sakuya. _Kill_."

_Remilia's giving out orders as if she were talking to dogs._

The maid jumped down as well, already a flurry of knives flung at these new opponents. But these weren't the Danmaku knives I saw during the Incident. No, these were real knives. With real piercing - real piercing of jugulars. As if the bloody mess that Meiling did for the first wave wasn't enough, Sakuya made it even bloodier. It was a dance of knives, effortlessly going from one target to the next. Sakuya appeared to favor slashing throats, and left a lot of youkai on the ground clutching their bloody necks. Again, it was disturbing to see this switch flipped - Sakuya becoming this killing machine as well.

_Now I'm afraid of Sakuya. Great._

From behind Sakuya, a group of creatures - they would have taken her by surprise, but they didn't get to - Patchouli had gone down there - floated down there, and began chanting words - the next thing I knew, the creatures became engulfed in electricity, being fried. She quickly turned to some of the fairy guards.

"Get inside! Now! Get all the fairies inside!"

We heard something, a growl from above us. I turned, and saw a flash of black fur as something pounced into me, taking me off the balcony.

I must have said every single curse word I could think of in the second it took for me to hit the ground.

* * *

-entry-

-Entities encountered:

-Various youkai

-Entities catalogued.

-Engaged in Danmaku.

-Verbal account of rules sent. Audio file of Patchouli Knowledge on record.

-Battle data sent, offensive and defensive capabilities of Hong Meiling.

-"Captured" [SPELL CARD: RAINBOW SIGN "RAINBOW WIND CHIME"], due to this individual entity not being hit. Will send physical card for study.

-Note: The different levels of spell cards might possibly make cataloguing such attacks mildly time consuming.

-Personal note:

-[REDACTED]

-Inquiry:

-Why was my note redacted?

-File upload detected from Admin 612:

-Displaying file:

**"Vampire Incident"**

**- In the summer of 1999, a vampire entered Gensokyo, killing most youkai opposition in an attempt to assert dominance. Many youkai died trying to defeat it, but the strong creature killed every opponent. It was about to lead an invasion of the Human Village, but Reimu Hakurei was able to knock it out using a new form of fighting she came up with - Danmaku. Reimu Hakurei, at eleven years old, and in front of both the Human Village and the youkai army the vampire gathered, killed the powerful vampire while it was down, and set about to establish this means of fighting to settle things in Gensokyo. The youkai readily accepted it. **

**- Yukari Yakumo went about spreading the game everywhere she could - even in the [REDACTED], and all the afterlife areas.**

**- There is speculation that the vampire was dropped off in Gensokyo personally by Yukari Yakumo. This is difficult to confirm, as the youkai who gave us this information has since gone missing.**

**- By multiple accounts, the vampire was supposedly Tepes himself - "Dracula". Unable to confirm.**

**- The vampire had no contact with Remilia Scarlet or any entity in the Scarlet Devil Mansion. As to **_**why**_** the vampire was allowed to run rampant without Yukari Yakumo intervening is a mystery in itself. Yukari Yakumo has declined to comment on this.**

**=Status: RESOLVED=**

**-File Catalogued by Emiri Kimidori.**

**-end file-**

-File received and read.

-Urgent update:

-Requesting offensive data!

-N. Yuki

-end entry-

* * *

**Imperishable Night is IMO, the most complex Touhou game.**

**You have a time limit. The game starts at 11:00 PM, and you must finish the game by 5:00 AM. If 5:00 AM is reached, game over - bad ending. You must collect time orbs to meet a quota per stage. Without doing so, time advances an hour during each stage transition. Meeting the quota only advances it by half an hour. Using a continue advances an hour. **

**You have four teams of a youkai and human partner. Team Border - Reimu Hakurei and Yukari Yakumo. Team Magic - Marisa Kirisame and Alice Margatroid. Team Scarlet - Sakuya Izayoi and Remilia Scarlet. Team Ghost - Youmu Konpaku and Yuyuko Saigyouji. Each team has their own perks. For instance, Team Ghost gives you a free bomb if you have less than three before a stage transition, Team Magic collects items easier, Team Scarlet coughs up a bomb item on ****the field upon the loss of a life (if they had a spare bomb when they die) and Team Border has the smallest hitboxes, plus Ran joins in when you play as Yukari. But **_**who**_** you use in a team also gives you perks. You either have to focus on using youkai or human. Each side has their own perks as well, which concern the gathering of Time Orbs. This forces a TON of strategy to play this game to make the time limit. All while dodging danmaku.**

**And remember - once dawn occurs, game over.**

* * *

_**"walking outside during the night of the full moon is suicide."**_


	17. PN Episode 4 Impossible

("No one donates to my shrine!"} (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻ ︵ ┬──┬

**And no one reviews my story!**

**werewolf, I have no idea where "Fukou da!" comes from. But I accept your dare. It's in the fic.**

**What's my favorite Touhou game? I'd have to say 6 - EOSD. It was my first, after all.**

**What's my favorite overall Touhou game? It's actually a doujin game. "New Super Marisa Land: the 6 Mushrooms" - one of the best Mario clones ever created. You can find a great playthrough by the Youtube user RabiEnRoll. I highly recommend you check it out - the play through and playing it yourself. It's made by Tasofro (Twilight Frontier), the same guys who helped ZUN create the Touhou fighting games.**

**And as Superstarultra once said in his masterpiece "You Got HaruhiRolled!":**

_**"...**_**no story is complete without a Pokémon reference."**

**The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is owned by Nagaru Tanigawa. Touhou Project is owned by ZUN and Team Shanghai Alice. I own neither. This is a fan fiction of those works.**

**Beta Readers for this Episode:**

**Another Duck**

**werewolf2005**

* * *

"Wriggle, you hearing this?"

It was late at night. Two youkai were on the upper branches of a particularly large tree, each holding a small bottle of ale, ready to watch the rise of the full moon. But as it did, howls erupted from all around Gensokyo.

Mystia Lorelei and Wriggle Nightbug stood there on their branches, unsure of what was going on. Mystia leaned back on the trunk, while Wriggle went out to get a better view. After a few seconds of looking around, the bug youkai turned back to Mystia.

"I dunno. Something's up. Lots of movement down there."

Mystia didn't like it. First off, the moon gave off some sense of wrongness. It didn't feel right - hell, it didn't even look right. Then, all the howling started, as if in response to it. And she started to hear screams off in the distance...

_So much for having a good night. Something has got a lot of youkai all riled up._ Mystia wondered if someone out there had begun an incident.

When an incident happened in Gensokyo, every youkai gets riled up - it's one of the things she learned after she arrived a number of years ago. There is atmosphere during an incident makes any youkai's blood boil. Mystia was somewhat feeling it again, but it was different this time: t just put her off.

But on a full moon, when all youkai were at full power? It made some sense; whomever started the incident would need that advantage to even last against that shrine maiden - but even that won't help. Mystia thought back to the last incident that happened during a full moon - the Scarlet Mist incident. That vampire who caused it was beaten soundly.

"Mysti! Look!"

Wriggle pointed down, and Mystia moved next to her to see what was going on. Down below an injured fairy, who had her wings ripped off, was running - whimpering all the while. It wasn't a fairy that they knew.

However, she was being chased by a group of lesser youkai. Like a pack of wolves, they surrounded their prey, and then converged. The fairy screamed for a few seconds before she was silenced. The whole matter was over in less than ten seconds.

_That's not supposed to happen! You don't go around killing fairies! Not even in an incident!_

Mystia looked back up at Wriggle, who had a horrified look on her face.

"What the hell is going on?!"

* * *

The fairy flew. She had to leave the wingless fairy behind. While se felt immense guilt for abandoing her kin, she knew that it was the only way to survive. So many fairies had already been killed - killed by the lesser youkai.

Daiyousei's wings were getting sore, as she had tried to lose the youkai that were after her. Sharp turns, spins, rolls, everything to avoid being caught by them. She had to find a place to hide, even though it seemed that they were just tracking her.

When she reached the lake, she wondered whether she should seek asylum at that vampire's mansion, Cirno's home, or whether to take her chances elsewhere. Her eyes fell on a structure nearby - it had its door open, and various musical equipment was scattered around the yard.

_The home of those musical poltergeists._

Daiyousei didn't think. She heard the youkai behind her. She went in.

* * *

**Perishable Night**

**Episode 4**

**["Impossible"]**

* * *

**=Destination of Fireflies.=**

_**"Was it only an effect of the imagination that made these fireflies glow stronger than usual?**_

_**Tonight will be a long night..."**_

**-Touhou 8: Imperishable Night - Stage 1**

* * *

We landed down in the yard, this creature snarling at me. Whatever it was, it looked to be based off some sort of wolf-creature, like a werewolf or something. I wasn't in a position to think that through, as it brought up its claws to slash me (and I screamed); as once again my life flashed before my eyes.

Kind of getting tired of seeing that over and over.

Then its head exploded. Well, not exploded. More like vaporized.

I screamed. Again. Well, could you blame me? I wasn't expecting such ultra-violence! I was expecting a party! Just my luck. _Fukou da!_

The headless body collapsed on me. For a brief second, I was frozen with fear, but my mind reminded me what was going on around me; in the corner of my eye, I witnessed Patchouli take down another creature. With Nagato's help, we shoved the body off me. Sometime during all that, Nagato had made her way down to where I was, and was over me, helping me up. I quickly got back up on my feet, ready to run for the mansion, until I saw _who_ saved me.

I _wanted_ to scream.

Flandre. Armed with Laevateinn.

_Well, I'm already afraid of Flandre. Nothing new here._

Flandre grinned at me, excitement shining in her eyes.

"Saved you! I saved Kyon! Kyon Kyon Kyon!" Flandre then turned to the carnage in the yard. "I- _Ooooh! Yeah! This is so great! Sakuya! Patchi! Meiling! Save me some_!"

With her attention on the incoming third wave of creatures, Flandre rushed to join the Guard, the Librarian, and the Maid in their creature culling. She swung her spear at a creature, and I actually witnessed it vaporizing. In the split second it was struck by Flandre, the creature appeared to catch on fire, burn to death, and then was reduced to ash. The creature didn't even get a chance to scream in pain.

And to think I used to wonder _why_ Flandre was kept in the basement. My thoughts went back to when I actually thought it was a _bad, horrible_ thing for Remilia to keep her sister in the basement. Shows what I know.

I turned to Nagato, who was surveying the carnage around us. She blinked once, twice, then spoke.

"Some friends you got here."

_When did you get so snarky?_

Barring that, Nagato and I took off for the open door after finding that I didn't suffer any injury for a two story drop. Amazing, really. Then again, I _survived a tumble down the stairs as I was landing on my head_.

Already most of the maids had gotten inside - the only ones left were leading the injured to safety. When we reached a limping maid - her leg was somewhat mangled and she was missing one of her wings - I offered her my shoulder. Nagato did as well, and we both helped that fairy reach the front door, being held open by Koakuma.

Out of nowhere, Nitori Kawashiro, the kappa engineer, joined by my side. She was wielding a wrench, which appeared bloody. Looked like she had to defend herself as well.

"Friend! What are you doing here?!"

"Just got back! Some timing, huh?"

Nitori gave me a shrug, and ran inside, to the safety of the mansion. I turned my head as we reached the door, watching as the warriors of the SDM were buying time for their fairy maids, as the maid Nagato and I was assisting was taken by some of the guards - I guess for medical treatment.

_Why are they attacking the poor fairies? What is going on?_ I attempted to think about that, but something from the shadows came right for us - another creature. Nagato turned and was uttering something; I think it was code, like in the fight she had with Asakura. Whatever the enemy was (I didn't get a good look at it), it...well, to say it straight...the thing imploded into nothingness. In less than a second it was crushed into itself.

_I think I just witnessed Nagato kill something._

I just witnessed a girl who goes to highschool with me kill something. A friend, no less. _Then again, doesn't this happen all the time in anime and manga?_

But I don't live in an anime or a manga.

"Nagato..." I paused, unsure of what to say, of how to respond to seeing that. And I couldn't think of anything. It wasn't as if it was a random killing. I mean, it was obviously a clean kill - self-defense, clear as day. Nagato protected me, herself, and that fairy we were helping. "...You know what, nevermind."

I shouldn't be one to question a selfless act like that anyways.

Yet again, more howling. More creatures.

_Damn it all. Why won't these waves stop?_

I think this would have been the final wave, as these much larger creatures had scaled the wall. The creatures..._wait. Why am I calling them creatures? I know what they are. They're youkai. Some sort of beastial youkai. But why are they attacking the Scarlet Devil Mansion? Even for someone who doesn't know Gensokyo, would they attack a place called the "Scarlet Devil Mansion"? Don't these guys know who lives here? _

I mean, _I_ wouldn't do such a thing, ever. Because I _know_ who lives there.

As if to answer that thought, Remilia herself had hopped down to the yard as well, wielding her weapon - Gungnir. Remilia merely pointed at an especially large youkai - it looked like a minotaur, I suppose - and threw the spear. The bull-thing quickly moved to the left, but Gungnir tracked it - and it pierced its head. The youkai collapsed. Raising her right arm and opening her hand, Remilia yelled out to her weapon.

"Gungnir! Return!"

_What is it, a Pokemon?_

Truth be told, the spear disappeared from its target in a flash of red light, and actually re-appeared in Remilia's hand. _I choose you, Gungnir! _

She pointed at another target, and again threw the spear, which had the same result - youkai dodges only to be impaled.

Here's a fun fact: according to Norse Mythology, the Gungnir will always hit its intended target - which it did. I have to say - those vikings possessed some badass weaponry in their legends.

An even bigger youkai - some sort of primate - had scaled the walls, and went right for the front door. Its footsteps boomed in the night.

Both of the Scarlet sisters got in its path.

I'm not going to lie. I felt sorry for it.

It wasn't fair. Remilia and Flandre, the Scarlet sisters, tore that thing to pieces. They worked in perfect tandem - flying around it, jumping around, and using their spears to tear off flesh, Flandre laughing all the while. They reduced that thing to bones in less than a minute. And I'm not using that word to exaggerate - anything fleshy they tore off, and kept doing it until there was a pile of bones.

In fact, the entire fight wasn't fair. Meiling, Sakuya, Patchouli, Flandre, and Remilia made short work of these things. Meiling had gotten especially violent. Over the course of the battle, she..._well, there is no other way to put it.._.became more and more beastial - hunched over, baring her fangs, nails becoming like claws, her eyes were glowing bright green, all the while snarling. She was letting her youkai said out and using her true power. Meiling was liquidating her opponents by the end, her hands and legs covered in some sort of "rainbow-colored fire".

No, I'm serious. Meiling had reduced her enemies to stains on the floor.

It wasn't long before the battle was over - bits and pieces of the lesser youkai all over the yard, these five, along with a few injured guards, left standing amidst the remnants of the buffet tables.

_You know, I'm glad Reimu made up Danmaku. Because otherwise, I doubt she'd have a real chance against the Scarlet Devil Mansion if she were to attempt a real assault._ And on the trail of that thought of humans surviving the Scarlet Devil Mansion...again I found myself respecting Sakuya for taking on both the Scarlet sisters.

I myself would not stand a chance being on the bad side of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. To see them "work" in this fashion was intimidating.

Remilia yelled out to Koakuma.

"Head count! We lose anybody?"

"No, Mistress! All fairies accounted for, alive, and inside!"

Amazing, really, especially since there was that fairy who got one of her wings ripped off. Those youkai really tore into some of the maids.

"Good! Everyone! Inside! Now!"

Remilia said that in response to more howling. _Are you kidding me? Are those things still not done? Are they freaking suicidal?_

The warriors that held off the youkai ran to the front door, Patchouli lagging behind a bit. Already it seemed that the battle had made her out of breath.

_That's right...she has asthma._ The blood in my face drained upon realizing that. _ Oh crap! She has asthma!_ And I also realized that if she wasn't flying, she might have run out of the magic necessary to fly. She was in trouble.

I don't know why I did, but I ran outside again. My good nature only puts me in bad situations. I really need to stop listening to it. Still...I owed Patchouli for being the one who got me to stay at the mansion in the first place.

By the time I reached the librarian, more youkai had scaled the wall. The hairs rose on my neck, as I saw that, primal fear wrenching in my gut, as their eyes locked onto mine. Their red, glowing eyes. The words of Meiling echoed in my head.

_You get caught by a youkai and you can't defend yourself, that's it. You die. Alone, screaming, and violently._

Well, I was committed to my action. I'd either save Patchouli there, or die trying. There was no going back to save my own skin...and if I did, I'd only look like a selfish idiot, and Remilia would possibly kill me for leaving her best friend out there.

I had to save her.

Offering Patchouli my shoulder, we ran the rest of the way into the SDM - Remilia coming back out to assist her friend. I could hear the librarian wheezing, struggling to get air into her lungs. I heard snarling behind me, and I picked up speed. Remilia shouted out to the guards holding the door open to close them as we got there. They did, but a single large wolf youkai in black fur jumped, bowling over the three of us, and pinning me down in the lobby. Sometime during all that, someone had closed the front door. But I digress - I had more pressing issues at hand, like another beast on top of me.

What flashed through my mind then is not something that I would say around my sister.

The creature bore its fangs in my face, ready to strike -

Meiling appeared, grabbing it by one of it's arms, flipped it off of me (_thank you, Meiling!_), and slammed it on its back on the marble flooring of the entrance lobby. Meiling did it with such force that the marble actually _cracked_. The youkai tried to struggle, but Meiling twisted the arm - the creature responded by howling in pain.

I noticed that Meiling, while covered in blood (none of it was hers), was sweating profusely, and her eyes (in youkai mode) were still glowing a bright green. She looked enraged, but she was breathing in and out, I guess trying to control herself.

_I hope she can control herself. I don't want to see the original Scarlet Devil let out that way, thank you. I've had enough destruction for a lifetime in just the past few minutes._

I also noticed that Remilia, Patchouli, and Flandre were sweating heavily too. I mean, yeah, it was a hot night, but none of the other fairies, nor myself, were at that level, even after such an action of defending the mansion.

Remilia helped up Patchouli.

"You all right?"

Patchouli was red-faced, and out of breath. She still labored in her breathing.

"Yes...yes, thanks...thanks to Kyon and...Meiling...and you."

Remilia nodded at that as Koakuma handed Patchouli an inhaler, which the magician used. Remilia gave me a single nod, as thanks for saving her best friend, apparently. I just nodded as well as Nagato helped me up.

"You okay?" she asked.

"All things considered...yeah."

_Considering that I ran from youkai and lived, I'd say I'm doing great._

Meiling kept her foot on the chest of the Youkai, and still held onto the right arm. She looked to her master, who simply stood there, arms crossed and pissed off. Remilia sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, not in frustration. I think it was disappointment and anger combined.

"...That...that was stupid. Even for you lesser youkai. You should know better - if you live near me, you should know better. Then again, you look too much like a werewolf. And I _hate _werewolves. Filthy half-breeds."

_Werewolves exist- ah, why not. Why the hell not._

Might as well consider the Loch Ness monster, Big Foot, and all those other myths to be truth as well. _That might mean Atlantis exists as well. What next - the Lunarian society exists too, with a Rabbit in the moon?_

Remilia had begun to circle the downed creature, Meiling still holding it down. I think by then I knew what was happening. What was _going_ to happen. Remilia was _angry_.

"Now, wolfie, I want to ask you some questions." Remilia's voice had gone to a calm tone, which betrayed the anger in her eyes. It was like she was talking to a child. "For instance, well, let's get to the meat of the matter. Why did you have the gall to attack my servants?"

"Ich weiß nicht! Ich weiß nicht warum wir greiften an!"

_Is that German? We have a German werewolf-thing here. Huh._

Remilia paused, the anger in her eyes growing by the second. She gave the wolf-thing a grin.

"'You don't know' isn't going to cut it."

_And apparently Remilia knows German as well._

"Ich sage die Wahrheit!"

I had no idea what this thing was saying. Although it was interesting to see international youkai, I suppose. I just...I think I knew what was going to happen next. Seeing Remilia this angry kind of put everyone in the room at an unease. The able-bodied maids were backing up, moving away from this. I glanced over at Nagato, and her stare was frozen on what was transpiring before us. The tension was so thick, because it was all leading up to what would happen next.

Remilia slowly nodded in response to whatever this creature said. She then casually turned her head towards her guard, a small smile on her face as she adjusted the small top-hat. It was hard to believe that it was still on her head after the fight outside.

"Meiling."

"Yes, milady?" Meiling responded, unemotional. Meiling's features had returned to normal, her fangs gone, her eyes only slightly glowing. She was still sweating heavily.

"Right Humerus. Snap it."

_I'm going to witness this thing get tortured. Crap._

"Nein nein nein!"

Meiling, still holding onto the right arm and ignoring the pleas of the youkai, delivered a quick kick to the arm - and it bent in a horrific way. And the sound that accompanied it was actually worse than the shrieking the youkai made after that action. I shook from hearing it, and a lot of the maids gasped. Meiling however, showed no emotion - no remorse for breaking this things arm. In fact, she simply grabbed the left arm, twisted it, and again placed her foot on the chest of the creature, so it couldn't get up.

Seeing this side of the residents of the Scarlet Devil Mansion was, again, very unnerving.

Also, I'm not used to watching someone get tortured. I get no enjoyment out of it. I guess I should be grateful that I'm not like that; that what was transpiring before me at that point was putting a bad feeling in my gut. Because if I was enjoying it, I'd be sick in the head.

Remilia continued to circle them, hands clasped behind her back, walking ever-so-casually. This whole scene was uncomfortable to watch, to say the least. Remilia had begun to let the anger in her voice be heard.

"You have to do a lot better than that, because you shouldn't attack my servants. I thought I met with all of you youkai that surround my home...and I thought I made it crystal clear to _never_ come onto my property, _let alone attack my servants_." Remilia stood over the head of the creature, staring down. She was beyond pissed off. "Don't you know that those who serve the Scarlet Devil are untouchable? _Nobody_ attacks my servants and gets away with it! _Nobody! And you actually had the gall, the very gall to attack my servants at my home?! What do you have to say for yourself?!_"

"Etwas kam über uns! Wir hatten das Gefühl, dass wir dies tun hatte! Unser Blut kochte für die Jagd! Ich weiß nicht warum wir greiften deine Dienstmädchen an! Wir wussten dass wir sollten nicht auf Ihrem Grundstück zu sein, aber etwas kam über uns! Bitte glauben Sie mir!"

Remilia's eyes burned with hatred. She all but shouted the next bit.

_"Not good enough! Meiling!"_

"Yes, milady?"

_"Left Tibia and Fibula! Break them! I want to hear him scream!"_

Another quick kick, and the leg was broken...to the point where I could see those bones sticking out of the creature's fur on its leg.

_Oh God oh God oh God._

Remilia chuckled, obviously enjoying this. The breaking of the creature's bones and its screaming seemed to soothe her. _Good Lord she's freaking sadistic!_

"And smash the left Patella for good measure."

If I know my bones, that's the kneecap. Thing is, I didn't see it. I couldn't see it. Didn't want to see it, as I had turned around. I just couldn't take this any more - I was at my limit. The whole scene was just making my stomach do much much more than jumping jacks. And mind you, I had just eaten.

Even some of the maids were averting their eyes. Sakuya, who was next to me, had simply closed them, not watching it. Nagato just stared, her eyes growing ever-wider. Nitori was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, silently averting her eyes from what was going on. Patchouli was a ways away from me, but noticed my reaction. A small smile appeared on her face as she took another puff of her inhaler. It wasn't one of happiness, though.

"Very unsettling to see Remi at work, isn't it?

"That's putting it lightly." I shakingly said.

As I said that, I was spun around and came face-to-face with Remilia. She had a small grin.

"What's the matter? Why aren't you enjoying this?"

My mouth was dry by that point, but I still found a way to speak.

"How can you enjoy this?! _Why_ are you enjoying this?!"

_Says the guy to the admitted sadist._ After all, she said as such when I talked with her back in April.

Remilia had gone back to her calm tone.

"Oh, Kyon...I was raised in a different, more violent world than you. Where either you gained respect, or you were taken advantage of. I may only look like a child, but the reality is that I am one of the most fearsome creatures in existence."

_I don't doubt that._

_"_I'm _old school_, Kyon. Besides, I thought you'd appreciate what I do."

"How? Why would I appreciate this?"

I said that, but sick thing is, some part of me agreed with all of this. Think about it - it's a power trip. Who hasn't wanted to laid waste to their enemies? And besides - we were on the same side. I had kept that to myself, however, as I didn't want to give her any justification. The torture thing was just _wrong_, in my view.

Remilia had an evil smirk on her face.

"Because you are my servant. And this is what happens to those who attack my servants. Hell, I bet Haruhi would have done this to that Student Council President if she could when she found out that he was to 'bring down Nagato'."

I'd rather not know if someone was tortured because of me, thank you. No, seriously. What the hell. As for Haruhi...

Well..._would_ she? She was willing to protect the unofficial Literature Club...

_Was Haruhi capable of doing such a thing? I mean, if Remilia really is...no...I hate thinking that Remilia is Haruhi's dark half. I just hate it._

Thing is, Haruhi always threatened "torture" and other things. I had discarded them as mere sayings, as mere gusto.

Maybe there was something to Remilia being Haruhi's dark half, as much as I hate to even entertain such an idea.

The smile on Remilia's face ebbed away, as she studied mine.

"Ah...you don't like it."

"Uh, yeah no."

She shrugged.

"All right." While she still stared at me, she spoke over her shoulder. "Meiling, no more torture."

"Yes, Milady."

_Thank you._

Remilia turned to her other servants, her maid servants. I guess she saw the same uneasiness on their faces, because she cleared her throat, and clasped her hands, as she slowly walked in front of them. Her voice was stern, commanding.

"This is what happens to those who think they can attack any of you. You work for _me_. You serve _me_." Remilia tapped her chest to emphasize what she was saying. "_I_ provide a roof over your head, _I_ provide you a place to sleep, _I_ provide you food, medicine, and an education. You serve _me_, and _I_ take care of you all. You understand me? Those who serve the Scarlet Devil are untouchable. Don't ever forget that."

_Gaining the faith and loyalty of your servants through the brutality of your enemies._ Remilia was right - she _is_ old school.

I also wondered if that "untouchable" thing extended to me as well. It should.

"Sssssissssterrrrrrr..."

Chills ran down my spine. _Oh man I forgot that Flandre is in the room with us._

Flandre had stepped from out of the shadows, grinning from ear to ear. All the maids moved a few steps away from the younger Scarlet. She stared at the creature as she licked her lips. Her eyes showed that she was, well, _hungry_, in a way. Not hungry-hungry, but another type of, _wanting_, I suppose. Either way, it put me at unease, and I didn't want to know what Flandre was thinking.

"You know, Remi...this thing may be broken...but I would like to have him."

Flandre grinned at her older sister. Remilia simply smiled, and nodded.

"By all means, Flan. Have fun. I'm done with him anyways."

_That poor bastard._

Meiling let go of the creature as Flandre whipped her spear into the right leg of it. It screamed. Flandre began to drag it with her, to the back of the mansion. All the creature could do was attempt to flop around, claw at the ground for a grip with it's working arm, and shriek in German. Still smiling, Remilia called out to the younger vampire.

"Oh, and don't feel bad if you break him. In fact, break him a whole lot!"

_The family that slays together, stays together?_ I had to wonder if this is how those two connected, in a way. Well, vampire sisters growing up together for half a millenia need to have some way to be together, some way to bond. And one of their ways to bond, apparently, is to kill. I did see them enjoy their _work_ outside, after all. Both of them obviously enjoyed it. No wonder Flandre is psychotic. Remilia makes it worse.

"Can-do! C'mon wolfie! You and I are gonna _plaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay."_

_Oh God the way she said that..._

_"Bitte! Bitte!"_

"You had your chance to give me a plausible explanation, you idiot!" Taunted Remilia. "You had your chance! Now enjoy the rest of your short life in complete and utter agonizing pain as Flan plays with you!"

Flandre's giggling echoed throughout the halls of the mansion as she and the screaming youkai disappeared from view. Remilia began to chuckle as she watched.

Remilia then lowered her head as the silence replaced the screaming. She took a deep breath, and let out a long sigh.

In the few seconds of silence, I stood there, processing everything that had just happened.

_Having a party. Enjoying some food. Going to enjoy the full moon. None of that occurred as we got assaulted. Torture. How did it come to this?_

I began to question _why_ I remembered my time in Gensokyo fondly.

Then again, there wasn't that much death going on in front of me. The only thing that died was...well, the fairies. Actually, that _was_ a bit of death. Then again, one doesn't focus on such a negative aspect if they want to retain their sanity.

Then we heard more howling outside. Everyone's head turned to the front door - maids backed away from it, while Meiling and the rest of the guards moved towards it.

_What in the world is going on out there?_

"Well," said Remilia, as she stared at the door, "I think this qualifies as an incident. Whatever they did has gotten all those youkai riled up. So..._somebody_ out there made a big mistake, _because I'm pissed off_. " The vampire turned her head to her maid. "Sakuya, sharpen your knives."

The maid curtsied. "Yes, milady."

"...and sharpen Gungnir as well. I think it's time for the Scarlet Devil to hunt once more."

_Remilia Scarlet is going out there?!I feel sorry for whoever is behind all of this._ But this was interesting. _Remilia_ going out to resolve an incident? This vampire? Who could stand against her _and_ Sakuya?

Then again, like I stated earlier, there are obviously strong people/creatures in Gensokyo, so there is a chance Remilia could fail. Hell, after all, Remilia _and_ Sakuya were both beaten by Reimu.

But I guess this was an incident, even though I don't know what exactly makes something to qualify as an incident in Gensokyo. I don't know the definition. Just...a lot of youkai doing bad things?

I turned to Nagato.

"Well, I'm looking forward to hearing what happens. What about you?"

Oh, I couldn't wait to hear what kind of antics Remilia and Sakuya would get into through all this. Maybe they'll-

I didn't get the chance to even think it.

"Oh, you'll experience it firsthand. You see," Remilia stood there, back to us, hands on her hips, "you're coming with us. Both of you."

I felt like I got punched in the midsection.

_No. No no no no._

The blood in my face drained when she said that. Shaking, I looked over at the vampire.

_"What?"_

"I don't believe in coincidences." Remilia narrowed her eyes as she grimaced, turning to us. "I believe in fate. You and Nagato are obviously here in Gensokyo for a reason, and I'm taking the two of you with us."

Internally, I let out every single curse word I knew.

And I let one slip verbally.

"I'm against this, Remilia Scarlet." said Nagato, I guess sensing my obvious unwillingness to do this. "Patchouli Knowledge has stated that the full moon gives youkai full power. Now you are asking him to go outside where it is dangerous."

"I know. But something is going on. And like I said, I don't believe in coincidences. Do _you_, Nagato?"

"For the record," I said as Nagato remained silent, "I'm against this."

"Noted."

Seriously, what the hell?

When Remilia didn't get anything else out of us, she took off her hat and tossed it somewhere.

"This just pisses me off. People snub my invitation, and now we got youkai crashing my party."

While Remilia was busy muttering to herself, Nagato turned to me, stoic as ever. She looked up into my eyes.

"You don't have to go if you don't want to."

I looked over at the vampire, and then back at Nagato. A feeling dawned on me, an acceptance, despite my personal protests.

"Well, hopefully it'll be all right. I would rather stay, but..."

Truthfully, Remilia did have a point. As much as I hated it, she did have some logic and reasoning behind her decision. After all, in my life, everything matters. There are no coincidences - everything has happened for a reason. And for some reason, I was brought to Gensokyo right before something big went down. Pretty much like last time, which happened to have the fate of the world at stake. By some sort of weird, twisted fate, I was brought into Gensokyo and became the key to saving the world.

_And it's happening again, isn't it? Why couldn't I be brought in during a time of peace?_ That's asking for far too much.

Granted, I was still against going out, but given that it was decided by Remilia, I really felt that I had no choice but to go through with it. I told Nagato as such, resigning myself to my fate of going out there. I just wish it was a better situation, you know? Being up close with such beasts put a gargantuan amount of primal fear in my body. And those were just the _lesser_ youkai, the ones that were among the weaker entities in Gensokyo, barring humans. There had to be stronger ones out there.

I should have protested more. I should have agreed with Nagato and just stayed at the mansion. I need to stop letting myself get pushed around into bad situations. But I'm getting ahead of myself. My damn good nature again. I really needed to start acting more selfish.

However, I wanted to know if Nagato was willing to do this.

"And you? Nagato? Do you want to do this?"

She turned her head towards Remilia, then back at me.

"Do you consider Remilia Scarlet a friend?"

"I guess I do." I said that rather automatically, without really thinking about it, which I suppose makes it true. _In some sick "she-drank-my-blood" kind of way._

"Then I will help out as well."

_This shouldn't be too bad then. Having Nagato by my side is a great insurance policy._

"Thanks. And you being there will take a load off my mind."

During all of that, Sakuya must have stopped time to do what Remilia asked, because the maid suddenly had the Gungnir ready, a change of clothing for the vampire, and a plethora of knives. Sakuya looked ready for battle...in a maids costume, anyway. She was still wearing that short skirt getup, (_thank you!_) but she also had fingerless black gloves, and straps on her arms and legs to hold a lot of sheathed knives. They were black, leather, I think, and pretty thin. She had also changed to boots that went up to her kneecaps.

Bit disappointing, as they covered most of her legs. But that's my opinion.

Sakuya handed the clothing to the fairy maids, who then converged on Remilia. Remilia spread out her arms as they surrounded her, and I couldn't see her. The maids were...changing Remilia's clothes? When they were finished, backing away from their master, Remilia was back to her usual dress and mob cap, but with a strap for Gungnir, which rested against her back. The vampire also had a single fingerless black leather glove, on her right hand.

Seeing the maids do that was impressive, I guess.

"Remmmiiiiiii..."

Flandre was back. And she was covered in blood.

"If you're going out, can you bring me back another toy?"

I noticed that Laevateinn was just _dripping_ with blood. Instinctively I moved behind Nagato.

I suck for using her as some sort of shield. I really am a jerk to her.

Remilia's jaw opened a bit. "...I _just_ gave you one. What happened?"

"It broke already. Into itty bitty little pieces."

_That was quick. What the heck did she do - no. No, I don't want that answered._

"I'll think about it, Flan." Remilia stepped up to her sister, putting her hand on her shoulder. Remilia's voice went soft. "But what I'd really like is for you to go down to your room, and wait for me. It looks like an incident is happening, and I don't want anything bad to happen to you, okay?"

"But Remi-"

Remilia ignored Flandre's protest.

"But nothing. Meiling and Patchouli will take care of things, okay? They'll protect the mansion."

"And if I sense them in danger?"

Remilia took a step back, shrugging. "Then by all means, join in. But_ please_ try not to break the mansion."

Sometime during all of that, Patchouli and Koakuma had left the lobby, and had returned with a satchel - possibly the same satchel I used during my last time in Gensokyo. "Since you're going, we thought you might need this."

Thermos, bandages, first aid, various other things. I searched it, finding all of that. Pretty much the same stuff I had the first time around. Before I slipped it on, I noticed a packet. Opening it, I found twenty red vials. The cherry blossom vials.

_Well why not? Makes me useful._ Looks like I was going to be relegated to the role of healer again. I didn't mind. Worked out for me, especially since I could down a vial and protect/heal myself when I needed it. _And_ I could defend myself with them.

I actually could defend myself for once. Things were looking a _bit_ up.

"Since you have that special ability, I'd like for you to make sure that Remi comes back in one piece." Patchouli glanced over at Remilia. "I'm sure you know that she can be hotheaded. She is strong, but even she can land herself in unwinnable situations, especially when she's angry. Please watch over her, Kyon."

I was about to say "are you sure asking me is the best idea?" when I noticed the pleading look in Patchouli's eyes. She really was worried about Remilia. The librarian then turned to Nagato. "And since I have a feeling I won't be able to really depend on Kyon here, due to his lack of fighting abilities, can I ask you to watch over Remi?"

_What the hell. Screw you, Patchouli._

Nagato glanced over at Remilia, then back to Patchouli. She gave a single nod.

"Good. Good." said Patchouli as she handed over a few cards - spell cards. "Take these with you as well. You might need them." As Nagato looked them over, Patchouli continued. "They're blank cards, so do what you want with them. Even in a real fight for your life, Danmaku is a good choice of combat - it can knock out many enemies with a single spell."

_That is one advantage, I suppose._ And it was true - Sakuya and Reimu took out that army of fairies at Mayohiga with just two cards.

Nagato nodded again. "Thank you, Patchouli Knowledge."

Koakuma had come up to me, gave me a hug, and a small smile. I could see she was worried too.

"Good luck out there. Please come back."

She then handed me something. It was blue, icy to the touch. Cirno's Icicle Fall spell card.

I couldn't help but smile myself, as that spell card had helped save the world, and more importantly, saved my life, despite it being totally useless against an opponent that is close to you. Koakuma still had the same smile.

"You left it in your room back in April. I hung onto it."

"Thank you, Koakuma." A thought crossed my mind. "But, I don't have any magic in my body." Unless I wanted to eat some Gensokyian mushrooms.

"Ah!" Koakuma blushed. She brought her hands up to her face, as if to hide herself from her embarrassment. "That's right! I forgot! I'm so sorry!"

She really does remind me of Asahina. I mused that while I still looked over the icy card.

* * *

"Eat this!"

The fairy charged at the group of youkai, unleashing her power as she got to them. They all froze in place, mid-attack. The fairy then shoved them all over, and they shattered when they hit the ground.

Cirno looked at all of them, breathing heavily. She was just enjoying a night out with a few other fairies when all of a sudden they were attacked by a group of youkai. The rest were taken down, Cirno the only one left standing.

She moved to one of the downed fairies. The blank stare up at the sky told the tale - the fairy was dead. The other fairies weren't getting back up either.

In the back of her mind, Cirno knew that they would reincarnate, that they wouldn't stay dead. But it would be awhile before they came back. Still, it was saddening.

_Good thing Daiyousei decided to stay home. Wish she could have been here to see me kick some butt though._

Once again Cirno survives. Crashing through the sadness was her bravado - she looked at her handiwork, and smirked.

"Serves you idiots right! That's what you get when you mess with the strongest in Gensokyo!"

In response to that, there was howling all around her. Her eyes widened when she saw more of the lesser youkai start to come out of the shadows of the forest. Fear overtook her body, her mind screaming at her to run, to take flight, to not end up like the other fairies on the ground.

_No. Eye'm not running! Eye'll take them all on! Eye am the strongest!_

Cirno balled her hands into fists, scowling at the oncoming pack of youkai.

"Bring it!"

* * *

Meiling was already at the door, hand on the knob. She nodded at all of us.

"All right, milady. We'll keep everything out of here. Just...take care. Something real bad is going down."

Remilia nodded, and then her attention went to the Kappa that was still hanging out in the lobby.

"Miss Kawashiro! Would you like to earn some extra pay?"

Nitori's lips pursed, as if she knew what she was going to be asked to do. "Mmmmaybe."

"Assist in the defense of my home, and I'll _double_ your pay. Everything that you have made in the past three months, I'll double."

I think Nitori was about to ultimately say no, but upon hearing that her pay would be doubled, her jaw dropped. From behind her eyes, it seemed that she was internally debating on whether to accept it or not, but in the end, she did.

Remilia must have been paying the Kappa well.

The vampire then looked out to her maids, as she gave an order. "Remember. While I'm gone, Patchi is in charge!"

Meiling had opened the door, letting us out. Howls from all around Gensokyo could be heard, a reminder that something bad was going down. We rushed to the gate, Meiling escorting us to unlock it. The moonlit sky shone the carnage around us. The yard was still a mess, but all the bloodstains were gone, as were all the bodies. I asked what happened to them, and noticed that the bloodstains on Meiling were gone too.

"When we youkai die, we don't leave behind bodies. We completely cease to exist." Meiling gave me a small smile as we left the grounds of the SDM. "No graveyards for us, I'm afraid."

That's kind of sad. No, really. No gravemarkers? No final resting places for youkai? Kind of makes sense, though. After all, one of the major arguments over the existence of the paranormal is "where is the proof?" A body of any youkai would be a huge find for the scientific community...or detrimental to it, depending on how you look at such a thing.

Capturing a live one would be problematic, and producing a body would be impossible. Youkai couldn't be found out. Isn't it weird how that works? Paranormal stuff can exist, but either you can't prove it, or the paranormal ones take great pains to hide themselves. Weird that I was seeing a logic to such things.

"Oh, and Meiling?" said Remilia.

"Yes, milady?" Meiling asked as she closed the gate.

"I'm authorizing you to kill any youkai that attempt to attack any more of my servants. I'm not really in the mood for showing mercy tonight." Remilia then pointed a finger at Meiling as the guard locked the gate door. "And...and there's one more thing, Meiling. No harm comes to my home. We _just_ finished repairs today...barring the dining room."

Meiling gave a quick salute. "Got it, Milady. I'll die protecting your home."

"Hopefully we can avoid such a thing."

_Same here._

Meiling ran back to the mansion, leaving us outside the gate. I turned, to see the light of the moon reflect off of the lake, to see Gensokyo at night.

_It's beautiful during the day, but __**good Lord**__ is it scary at night._

"Sakuya, you're free to speak this night." said Remilia out of nowhere. "Anything you want to say, you may say it."

The maid nodded. She then glanced at Nagato and me. "So...anyone have any ideas on how we proceed?"

"Yeah, that's right - what's the first thing we do?" I asked. "Because I myself don't know how we'd solve this incident.

Remilia stared up at the moon. "I know you're apprehensive about this, so...so how about we find Reimu first. Will that make you feel better, Kyon?"

"Actually it does."

"I was actually going to suggest that," said Sakuya rather begrudgingly, "But...me and the miko still don't get along."

"I pledged my allegiance to her, so get used to it, Sakuya. Besides, the miko's intuition will help us find the culprit, and maybe we can be done before the sun comes up." Remilia turned to Nagato. "You up for this, Miss Nagato? Or do you want to sit this one out?"

Nagato just stared at the vampire. "I'll assist."

_Please, you two. Don't start up problems with each other.I don't want conflict tonight._

Two guesses on how my wish there would turn out.

And so we left the grounds of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, to make the trip on foot to the Hakurei Shrine to find Reimu. Gensokyo, at night. The last time I was there, I was told that if I ever left the grounds, I was fair game to whatever youkai was out there. There was also a saying the fairy maids had. That in Gensokyo, a human walking around outside at night was stupid. To do that during the full moon was suicide. And yet there I was, full moon and all. I'm stupid _and_ suicidal.

Granted, I was traveling with a Vampire, a Human Interface, and a former Vampire Hunter, but still...I was scared. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I thought _"this might not even be enough._" We would need Reimu. And Marisa, as much as I didn't want to think of her.

_Please be there, Reimu. Please be there, Marisa. Please help us solve this._

* * *

Mystia stared down at the remains of the fairy, feeling a little sick to her stomach. She was used to death, but seeing a fairy ripped apart like that... It wasn't even fair.

After they had dealt with the fairy, the youkai down there looked up, directly at Mystia and Wriggle. But they didn't attack - just stared. They then dispersed as quick as they had appeared. The two youkai up on the tree shared an uneasy silence, Mystia still in the dark of the tree canopy, and Wriggle standing out on the branch, looking down.

"Wriggle, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all. In fact, just the opposite. I feel..._good..._for some reason."

"Good? Seeing a fairy get ripped to pieces makes you feel good?"

Wriggle whipped around, obviously annoyed and offended.

"No, you idiot. There's something else in the night. I just feel good." Wriggle then turned back to Gensokyo. "Also, I'm hungry. I think I'll just take a quick look around for a human wandering around. Maybe I'll get lucky."

"A human at this time of night?"

"I know, I know. But...you never know. A new human may have been transported into Gensokyo, and they don't know by now that they shouldn't be out tonight. It happens. Free meal."

"Yeah," scoffed Mystia. "Well, just make sure it isn't that shrine maiden or the witch."

Wriggle raised an eyebrow at her friend. "I'm not _that_ dumb, Mysti."

Mystai continued to stare down at the fairy.

"Wriggle, we gonna talk about _that_?"

"About what?"

"The fairy."

The firefly youkai glanced down at the remains. She then shrugged. "Well, who knows? Maybe she pissed them off. Could have just been a personal fight or whatever. Doesn't concern us in the long run. Laters."

And with that, Wriggle took off.

Maybe Wriggle was right. Maybe it was just a one-off happening. That fairy _could_ have just ticked off the wrong youkai. Hell, Mystia personally knew a certain fairy that would do such a thing. Difference was that Cirno could actually take care of herself, to a point. The bird youkai pondered that as she walked out onto the branch. Mystia looked up at the moon as it shone on her face. She wondered what Cirno was up-

_killfairieskilhumanskillfairieskillhumans_

A pain shot through her head. Mystia winced, but the pain was gone already. Bringing her hand up to her temple, she found that she was sweating.

_It's not that hot...and what the heck was __**that**__?!_

* * *

I wanted to fly. But without a broom ride, I was out of luck. Sakuya asked why Nagato couldn't make it so I could fly (good idea), but the human interface said she wasn't authorized to do something so drastic as altering the data of a human that way. Not exactly her words, but you get the picture. Remilia said that Nagato should do it anyways, but Nagato declined, saying that she was still trying to win favor with her superiors.

Disappointing, especially since we had to go by foot all the way to the Hakurei Shrine. And scary.

Thankfully, it seemed that the genocide of the youkai around the SDM had cleared the area. We had no trouble as we circled the lake.

We were about to pass the Prismriver Mansion, when we noticed that it appeared to have been assaulted as well - panes of glass were broken, and the door was broken down. We heard a blast of a trumpet, and saw something get knocked out of the house. Whatever it was, it went into the lake with an audible splash.

The Prismrivers exited their house, each armed with their instruments. I smiled as I saw all of them.

"Stupid little piece of garbage!" bellowed Lunasa. "What the hell is your problem?!"

Merlin turned to her sister, with a sarcastic smile. "Uhm, I don't think he can hear you while he's in the water."

"And I don't think he'll be able to hear at all after those musical blasts we gave him!" chirped Lyrica.

Lunasa slowly nodded, before noticing us. Her eyes widened. "Well I'll be. Kyon? Oh!" Lunasa had noticed the vampire. "And Lady Remilia! Sorry about running late. We got held up with some business with Lady Yuyuko, and came home to prepare..." Lunasa referenced around her. "Then we got attacked."

We exchanged greetings and all after that.

"So," said Lunasa, hands on her hips. "Do any of you know what is going on? These things just attacked our home, clawing up everything, trying to get in."

"Same thing happened to my mansion, but in greater number." Remilia looked over the damage. "Your home looks worse for wear."

"Yeah, well, it was just the three of us defending it." Merlin turned back to her home. "Strangest thing...they didn't attack us."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Lyrica rubbed the back of her head." I don't know - it's just that they got within striking distance of us, multiple times even, and all they seemed to do was get deeper into the house."

Sakuya tapped her chin, thinking. "That's strange. Our maids and Kyon here were attacked in our siege."

That i strange. And unfair. Mostly unfair.

"So I take it the party is cancelled?"

That voice came from the pathway that we were still on. I nearly reeled back in surprise when I saw who it was.

It was the youkai of flowers. Yuka Kazami. She looked over all of us as she stopped in the pathway, a small smile on her face. Even though it was night time, she still carried her umbrella. Her eyes fell on me, and her smile widened.

"Ah. Human. Figures that you're here if we're getting an incident."

I shrugged. "Can't be me this time. No cherry blossoms."

She nodded slowly as she turned to Remilia.

"I was looking forward to the party, Miss Scarlet, especially to see your nocturnal garden. You specialize in such a thing, don't you?"

Grinning, Remilia nodded. "I love my lunar-blooming flowers. What can I say? But sadly, yes - the party appears to be cancelled."

Yuka smiled again, and then continued to walk towards us. I of course got out of her way, giving her the path. Sakuya and Nagato followed suit...and Remilia stood there. The two stared at each other. It was obvious Remilia didn't want to get out of the way of Yuka.

_Remilia, I know you're strong, but don't do this._ Even after the little time I had spent with Yuka, I wouldn't cross her even if backed up by an army.

Yuka and Remilia stood there for about a minute, I guess expecting for the other to move out of the way. They didn't say anything, but I knew what was going on. _Who would move for the other? Who would recognize the other's superiority?_

Eventually, Yuka closed her parasol, and began to tap it in her hand. Remilia's gaze went to said parasol, and I swear that I saw the vampire gulp as she kept her eyes on that thing. Remilia's lips pursed, her eyes went to the ground, and she slowly moved out of the way for Yuka. Remilia looked pissed, and Yuka smiled again. The youkai of flowers then walked down the path.

Remilia glanced at each of us, a hint of anger in her eyes. "You didn't see any of that."

_Man, if her home being attacked and party being ruined didn't put her in a bad mood, that certainly did._

We had left the Prismrivers, and didn't get far from their mansion. It wasn't even out of a stone's throw away from it, when Nagato spoke.

"We aren't alone."

Nagato turned her head, to some foliage. It was darker than I thought it would be within that area...until I saw two red eyes staring back at me.

I knew who it was. She was the first to speak, that familiar childish voice emanating from the darkness.

"Hello, Mister."

It was Rumia. My living nightmare. We stopped, Sakuya bringing out her knives. But Rumia didn't do anything, just stared at us.

At me.

I had to ask her what was on my mind.

"Is it true that you eat children?"

Rumia grinned, the white of her teeth glistening even in the pitch black of where she was.

"Children. Infants. Toddlers. Teenagers. Adults. The elderly. I'm not picky. They all taste yummy. I bet you taste yummy. Oh, I would like to have a bite of you, Mister. I'm hungry...but it looks like you belong to that vampire there."

It's not every day a creature talks about eating you so casually. Of course, I didn't like it.

"You're a simple youkai," said Remilia, "but you have more sense then those others that just attacked my home. Commendable."

"I don't need to be beaten by that door guard again, Miss Vampire. I don't like it when you 'sic' her or that maid on me."

"Then you shouldn't enter my property without my permission."

"Is that so?"

Rumia kept her place in the darkness, saying nothing more. We left the youkai of shadows there. When I looked back, her eyes were still on me, making my skin crawl. I moved closer to Nagato.

"That's the one named Rumia?"

I turned to Nagato.

"Yeah. Yeah, that's her." I shot a glance towards the youkai. "It's been months, but I'm still scared of her."

I wasn't ashamed to admit it.

* * *

Wriggle saw something while flying around. A human male who was outside of the village's limits. She sensed others, but she focused on the human male, her mouth watering. _Teenage human male! Doesn't appear to be from Gensokyo - fresh from the outside world! I'll catch him, eat him, and let my bugs devour the rest of his corpse!_

* * *

All of a sudden Remilia stopped. She said she sensed something nearby, and then-

And then I was up in the air. I felt something pick me up by hooking its arms under mine, and whisk me away. They were thin arms, like they belonged to a small teenager.

I mused that before my mind began shouting to me that I was being carried away from Nagato, Remilia, and Sakuya. Shouting to me that I had to have been caught by a youkai, even though I couldn't see who it was. Once again the words Meiling said the day prior rang in my head. Fear overtook my body, and I began to struggle. Thing is, whomever it was who picked me up wouldn't let me go - they were strong. The two of us were above the treeline, already moving away from my companions.

And yes, I called out for help.

My mind worked quickly, as fear did course through my veins. Granted, my options were limited on how to defend myself in that situation. I could not fight against a youkai - that would be suicide on my part. All I could hope to do was to knock it out. I couldn't reach the spell cards I had, so I only had one option. Once again, I find myself owing Patchouli for coming up with the vials.

I wasn't looking forward to it, however. I'd have to break a vial in my proximity, knock the both of us out of the air, and hope Remilia, Nagato, and Sakuya could come to my rescue.

Unless I wanted to become a meal, I had to act. We were going higher. I grabbed a vial, shook it, and then I was at a dillema. I couldn't throw it at anything to break it. I had to crush the vial by hand - be at point blank for that danmaku grenade effect.

_Pain and numbness now, along with a fall, or be eaten alive._

Pain is temporary. And besides, I'd be able to heal myself back up - an ability that I was grateful for. I crushed the vial.

An overwhelming redness overtook the two of us, alongside a quick electrical pain that gave way to numbness, and drowsiness - the effect of danmaku. I couldn't feel anything, but I saw the both of us falling. I don't know about the youkai, but a bush broke my fall, thankfully.

_Damn it all, my body feels so funky._ Danmaku really _did_ feel like a strong static charge, like spending all day on a fuzzy carpet and finally touching a door handle - but the shock hits all over your body. Also, my clothes were singed.

I laid there, unable to move for a few seconds, the danmaku numbness keeping my body down. The feeling in my body came back, an ebbing soreness, and I was able to lift my head up, and I saw who it was that had whisked me away.

It was a young...person. Male or female? It was tough to tell. It's body was quite thin. It wore baggy blue pants, a white shirt, and a black cape. Very short, and very messy, teal hair. There appeared to be antennae on its head, like a bug, so it was obviously not human. _Youkai. A youkai almost took me. _The youkai turned to me, staring at me with its angry blue eyes, a scowl on its face.

"Ah...you little idiot! You'll pay for that!"

The voice was feminine. It was a girl. A girl youkai. A...bug girl youkai? Maybe. And her features made her definitely western. I almost want to say...she looked like an American. You know, she was actually kind of cute in a way. A very boyish-looking bug girl. She didn't look much older than me.

Thumbs up? Not the time. What was before me was a youkai, one that had enough power to attain a human form - she's obviously one of the stronger ones. She was already propping herself with her arms. Slowly getting up, but still getting up. I myself was barely able to move my head around.

_Get up get up get up get up!_

I already knew that I wouldn't make it up before she did. It had to be the full moon that had given her more stamina, despite being hit by danmaku. The bug girl was already getting back up to her feet. She shakingly stood, clenching her teeth.

"Human, you're going to regret that one!" she said as she took a few staggering steps towards me.

_Seriously? I get put into Gensokyo again and this is how it ends?_ At least give me the chance to run away or something!

The girl didn't get very far.

I had blinked, and there before me, in between the two of us, was Sakuya, Remilia, and Nagato. Nagato was already at my side, helping me up. Remilia and Sakuya already had their respective weapons out, ready to attack. The bug girl, in surprise, reeled back, falling on her backside.

"I don't mean to sound like a jerk," I said as I was being helped up. "But it took you guys long enough."

_Seriously, where were they? Where were they while I was being carried off?_

"You're okay. I just wanted to see if you could defend yourself before we came to your rescue, much to Nagato's protests." Remilia nodded at my vials. "And from the looks of things, you can defend yourself, which is good."

Remilia turned to the girl, her voice going back to that edge.

"Now, then...youkai. You shouldn't have done that."

The girl moved, trying to circle around Remilia and come for me, but the vampire was too quick, getting in front. The girl then moved again. Same result.

"You okay?" Nagato asked as that was going on.

I moved around my body, trying to see if any part of it hurt. Other than a stinger from the fall, there was no pain. Just soreness from the vial.

After checking up on me, Sakuya turned to Remilia.

"Milady, would you like for me to dispose of this one?" She was referencing to the youkai.

Remilia shook her head.

"No, Sakuya. Stand down. I think I'll show this little girl who she's messing with firsthand." The vampire went back to that calm tone. The same tone of voice she had with the German youkai. "What's your name, youkai?"

The girl didn't appear to want to answer. Again, she tried to circle around, but failed. She kept her eyes right on me. When it was obvious that the girl wasn't going to get around Remilia, she spoke.

"Wriggle. Wriggle Nightbug."

_What kind of name is that?_

"And what are you?"

"A firefly youkai!" Still not taking her eyes off of me, Wriggle pointed right at me. "I want that human! It's a full moon, I'm hungry, and I got him first!"

_Why am I the target of so many youkai tonight?_

"He's not yours. He's mine."

"Bull! Who says he's yours?!

"My name is Remilia Scarlet, and I do say he belongs to me."

Wriggle's eyes widened, and her face went pale as she finally looked at the little girl with wings that was in front of her. Wriggle took a few steps back.

"Oh...oh. Oh crap. _Miss Scarlet. _ Oh..."

_I __**really**__ like being a servant of Remilia's. _Especially with the reaction it got from the other youkai. Like I said back in April - I felt important.

Wriggle had lost that aggression, and was starting to shake. In her eyes, I could see that she still wanted to fight, but there was fear.

"Are you trying to intimidate me?" Wriggle said in a shaky voice.

_She's not trying, Wriggle. She is._

"No. I think Milady is going to kill you." said Sakuya. The maid grinend back at me. She was somewhat enjoying this as well.

"Don't worry," smirked Remilia. "I'm not interested in non-humans anyway."

"Her disinterest is normally reason to worry. If you were a human, you'd at least be treated as food. But right now, she's in a rather foul mood, so..." Sakuya smiled at Wriggle. "Youkai, you're in so much trouble. She is the Lady without mercy, after all."

The bug youkai looked like she wanted to run. Her body sent off that message, as if she was ready to take flight. But there was a determination in her face. Fear, too, but also determination. There must have been a struggle between pride and logic going on in her head, but eventually pride won. Wriggle knew she had no chance in an actual fight against Remilia, so she brought out a spell card.

"You..." she shakingly said. "...you and me, vampire! I'll knock you out! And then I'll take the boy!"

Remilia turned her head to us, an amused look in her face.

"Uh, Remilia," I asked. "You sure we got time for this?" Even I knew that this bug wouldn't pose much of a threat to someone like Remilia.

Remilia shrugged.

"Shouldn't take too long, Kyon. Besides, might be fun, and I feel the need to beat someone down anyways."

I stared at the youkai, feeling sorry for it, despite her wanting to eat me.

The vampire then put Gungnir back in its holster as she waved us to the side, as if to get us to clear the area. We complied. The two of them went up into the air; Wriggle with that same determination to not back down, and Remilia, arms crossed, still amused.

"Milady, what are you doing?"

"Just going to have a little fun, Sakuya. Don't mind it."

I heard Sakuya give a little sigh of disappointment.

I also began to be reminded of the whole "dark half of Haruhi" thing. I would hate for Haruhi and Remilia to join forces. It would be an unholy alliance of haughtiness as both of them do whatever the hell they want to without thinking of the others around them.

Wriggle opened up her attack, making sweeping motions with her arms, danmaku forming at her sides. It was about three waves on each side. She then made a flinging motion, and the danmaku responded, going right for Remilia. The attack wasn't much. Remilia easily sidestepped it all. Even I could dodge that opening attack. _Wriggle, you need to do something better if you want to beat Remilia._ Nagato stared up at the danmaku, obviously interested. _If she's this interested in such a low level attack, wait until she sees a Lunatic card._

"Impressive, isn't it?"

Nagato nodded. A thought then crossed my mind as I turned my head to the maid.

"Hey Sakuya, why don't you form a knife and have Nagato touch it?"

The maid just smiled and shook her head "no".

_Unfair. It's what I went through._

Remilia hadn't even made any motions to attack, and had this weird look on her face. It took me awhile to realize that Remilia was holding back on laughing.

Wriggle stopped her attack, anger rising in her face.

"Why aren't you attacking?!"

"Do I even have to, little youkai?" The vampire was snickering, finally breaking her hold on laughter. It went on for about a minute, the vampire doubling over in mid-air, pointing at Wriggle and saying things like "That was so pathetic!" Remilia finished up, wiping a tear from her eye. "Oh, thank you. I needed that laugh. I was too angry right now, but you stopped that. Thank you. Little bug, you _are_ amusing."

The bug youkai's face scrunched up in anger. She was being made a fool in front of other people by a person vastly stronger than she was, and she knew it. Not a good feeling. Remilia was just taunting her opponent by not attacking, saying "you're not worth it at all."

"I'm not weak! I can take you on!"

[SPELL CARD: LAMP SIGN "FIREFLY PHENOMENON"]

Wriggle finally used a spell card. Three "threads" of danmaku poured out at a decent speed. They circled around Wriggle for a bit, before "whipping" towards Remilia as another three threads formed. Remilia had to move a bit faster to avoid them. Wriggle also began to move fast, adding more shots as time went on.

I noticed the danmaku that had passed by me that was shot by Wriggle.

Bugs.

She was shooting bugs.

Ick.

Remilia still did not attack, much to Wriggle's dismay. Eventually, Wriggle had to end the spell card, conceding a capture of it. A copy of the spell card fell to the ground, and the two stopped moving, both of their gazes on it. Remilia had a smug look on her face as she stared at it.

"I'm not going to pick that thing up. That was embarrassing for me to even be a part of that." Remilia glanced at me. "Hey Kyon, if you want it, go ahead."

"No thanks."

I don't think I would like to shoot bugs. That is a power I could do without, thank you.

Wriggle clenched her teeth, her hands balling up into fists.

_"You stupid vampire! That was a great attack!"_

_You think to much of yourself, little youkai._ Heck, she reminded me of Cirno, almost.

Remilia's body froze when Wriggle called her "stupid". Slowly, the vampire's right hand balled up into a fist, while the left hand brought out a spell card. A glowing spell card.

_Wriggle, you're going to get it now. _ I patted Nagato on the shoulder, pointing up at it. "_That's _a Lunatic card. We might want to-" Already Sakuya was leading us to cover behind a tree.

I do like her. She's so thoughtful.

Sakuya looked up at the card, slightly shaking her head.

"This is going to get bad. Milady _has_ to be in a foul mood to use _that_."

"I don't doubt it." I said. "Considering her party was ruined, I'd say that's a gimme."

And also, a bug youkai just called her stupid. A _bug_ youkai. I may not know the social hierarchy of the youkai in Gensokyo, but even I could tell that this youkai was one of the weaker ones.

"Okay, fine." said Remilia in that calm, shaky voice again. "You want to play with the big girls? Fine. _Just don't cry when you get torn apart, little insect_."

[SPELL CARD: SCARLET SIGN "SCARLET MEISTER"]

I had never before seen so much red.

Remilia extended her arm, and quickly twirled in the air. Thousands of red shots were fired in one revolution. Remilia paused at the end of it, and did it again in the opposite direction. Sounds like a simple attack, but _man_ was it a heavy attack. At first it appeared to be an unfair attack, but there were small openings one could fly through to avoid the shots. Thing is, the shots were almost as fast as Remilia, so one would need near-perfect reflexes to even survive that one.

I actually heard Nagato gasp at seeing that. A small gasp, but it was still noticeable. I turned to Sakuya.

"And Reimu survived _that_?"

The corner of the maid's mouth turned down. "Survived? The miko captured that one."

That stunned me for a few seconds. Then I turned my attention back to the vampire in the air. I say that, because Wriggle wasn't there anymore. Remilia had ended her spell card, and was looking for the bug.

You see, the firefly had dived behind a tree, and was peeking out to see if the spell card was done. She was wide-eyed and shaking. I think _finally_ she really did know that she bit off more than she could chew.

"To hell with this!" the youkai yelled out.

Wriggle landed on the ground, and physically ran away from Remilia.

And Remilia gave chase. "Get back here! I'm not done with you!"

"Milady!"

Sakuya ran after her as well.

Not wanting to be left behind, Nagato and I followed.

_This really is going to be one long night, isn't it?_

* * *

The woman was running. From room to room, trying to stay ahead of what was chasing her. If it was anybody else, they would have been exhausted by then. Thankfully her military-level stamina was paying off.

The woman stopped in a room, to catch her breath, to assess where she was, and to decide what her next path should be.

_Should be only a few rooms away from the front door._ The woman brushed her hair out of her eyes as she decided on how to proceed. _Need to get help. Need to contact that gap youkai. Let her know what's going on out here. Need to stop all of this._

Her master, the princess, and all the rabbits were taken by it...whatever it was. They all had that same soulless look in their eyes - static. Nothing but static. As she shifted, the woman felt the custom Luger in her holster. Her eyes went down to it, as she began to wonder if she should eat a bullet instead of going into that same fate, should it come to it.

_Can't die now. Can't kill myself. I'd let them all down. _Still, to _become_ like that frightened her. But it didn't frighten her as much as what was going on outside.

_We made that moon...and then that thing altered it. It's doing something to Gensokyo._

She had heard the howls. Saw how it affected youkai. And it would only get worse as time went on. The fairies were going to die.

Her bunny ears perked up, as she heard something. In one of the rooms ahead.

_Damn it. It got in front of me._ She went through a mental map of her home, remembering that she should be able to sneak around in one of the side rooms. She decided to do so, hoping that the thing ahead didn't know of those alternate ways.

Reisen Udongein Inaba had to get out of Eintei. She had to get help against that girl with the long black hair.

* * *

-entry-

-Entities encountered:

-"Rumia", Youkai

-Lunasa Prismriver, Poltergeist

-Merlin Prismriver, Poltergeist

-Yuka Kazami, Youkai

-Wriggle Nightbug, Firefly Youkai

-Entities cataloged

-Requesting permission to assist in resolving the incident that has afflicted Gensokyo.

-[ADMIN 612]: You are cleared to engage in battle. Top priority is still data acquisition, however.

-Understood.

**"Dream Incident" (unofficial name)**

**- May, 2001. Dream projections were beginning to enter Gensokyo, and causing havoc. Reimu Hakurei set out to find what was going on, but unbeknownst to her, so did Marisa Kirisame. The two found Mugenkan, the literal dream mansion of Yuka Kazami. Mugenkan made the dream projections of the owner come to life. The two entered via different ways, and they both fought Yuka Kazami's servants, before meeting each other. They battled it out again, with Reimu Hakurei winning. Deciding to work with Reimu Hakurei on this, Marisa Kirisame joined the shrine maiden. The two thirteen year olds took on Yuka Kazami in multiple battles before they finally knocked her out. They then destroyed Mugenkan and its dream projections, saving Gensokyo.**

**- Despite losing her home, Yuka Kazami has no ill will against Marisa Kirisame or Reimu Hakurei - in fact she respects them. She states that "If I was sleeping, then who would take care of my flowers?"**

**- UPDATE: After an interview with Yukari Yakumo, this entity has learned that Mugenkan was a gift from the demon to the flower youkai, in return for a 'service'. see "Youkai Lunarian Invasion"**

**=Status: RESOLVED=**

**-File Catelogued by Emiri Kimidori.**

**-end file-**

-Inquiry:

-What is the "Youkai Lunarian Invasion"?

-[ADMIN 612]: CLASSIFIED. Entity Yuki Nagato does not have the clearance for that data. Do not ask for this again.

-N. Yuki

-end entry-

-logoff-

* * *

**As I sit here writing this fic, I'm jamming out to an extended 18 minute version of Wriggle's Theme! It's awesome!**

**Again, so much praise to my beta readers, whom without I could not do this story!**

**And even more again, read and review!**


	18. PN Episode 5 Imprisoned Unexcused

**I want to publically thank I Before A Except After K for posting this story on the TVTropes page. If you're here from there, welcome.**

**kojiro, while I love Dou, I am kind of iffy on using most of his works. Some of them are just too dark and depressing, especially concerning Reimu. Seriously...he kills her twice and has Sanae beat her down. And then has Yukari kill Ran in front of Chen. **

**I do prefer a bit of darkness in my Gensokyo, in _this_ Gensokyo...just not that much.**

**From what I remember, last season, someone already posted this up on Space Battles. Apparently this is only good enough to get a 7/10. :p**

**And for the American audience, Happy 4th of July.**

**The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is owned by Nagaru Tanigawa. Touhou Project is owned by ZUN and Team Shanghai Alice. I own neither. This is a fan fiction of those works.**

**Beta Readers for this Episode:**

**Another Duck**

**werewolf2005**

* * *

The girl locked her door and made sure her home was secure. She turned around and looked up at the full moon.

_Something is not right about that moon. Normally I wouldn't have noticed something like that..._ Normally, if she was still human.

Alice Margatroid sighed as she heard more howls. Her companion shivered at the sound. Alice turned her head to her, and tried to reassure her companion with a smile.

"It'll be alright. I'm here with you, and I've got my dolls."

One such doll, Shanghai, went around to the girl, and patted her on the head, as if to calm her down. It appeared to somewhat work, as the girl nodded.

"B-but..." she stuttered, "...those _things-"_

"Youkai." Alice corrected. "They're youkai."

"Those youkai wanted to get in! It was so scary!"

Alice's companion looked ready to cry, and she was right. Normally, it would have been a terrifying ordeal, with a pack of youkai attempting to claw their way into the house. Alice had never had any trouble with lesser youkai since becoming one, so this was a unique situation.

_It's an incident. There is no other explanation. I can even feel my blood boil; I can feel my body wanting to let loose._

After having defended her home and her new friend, Alice had decided to take the girl to a safer place. After a few minutes of internal deliberation, it was clear; there was no safer place in Gensokyo for a human than the Hakurei shrine.

Something bothered Alice, however. She was sure there was another place for humans to be safe, to seek sanctuary, but she couldn't remember it at that point. Strange.

Alice knew that all youkai became weaker and more manageable on the shrine's grounds, and the holy land kept some of the lesser youkai out of it completely. It would be the perfect place to hide the girl while Alice dealt with this incident.

_Someone made the mistake of attacking my home and my dolls. I'll make them pay for getting me involved._

Funny. It was during an incident when she lost her humanity. It was during an incident when she almost lost her life. And now Alice found herself wanting to _resolve_ an incident.

_I'd say I've come full circle, but I'm smart enough __**not**__ to start an incident._

While Alice was pondering all of that, she noticed the girl next to her, who appeared to be getting more scared by the minute.

Alice put her hand on her companion's shoulder.

"All right. Listen to me - it's going to be a short walk from here to the Hakurei shrine. I'll take care of you, okay? But I need you to do something for me. If I tell you to hide and _where_ to hide, don't question - do it." Alice smiled at her. "You'll be just fine. I won't let anything bad happen to you."

The auburn-haired girl audibly gulped as she stared out into the darkness of the Forest of Magic. She took a deep breath, and nodded.

"O-okay. I'll do my best."

"Just stay close to me."

Alice Margatroid and Mikuru Asahina took off for the Hakurei shrine.

_And maybe, hopefully, I'll find out why an S.O.S. Brigade member is here in Gensokyo._

* * *

**Perishable Night**

**Episode 5**

**["Imprisoned / Unexcused"] **

* * *

**=Path of Human Disappearings.=**

_**"At midnight, only beasts and youkai are around the human pass.**_

_**There aren't any human-like forms to be seen."**_

**-Touhou 8: Imperishable Night - Stage 2.**

* * *

It was a short trip in the forest, chasing after Remilia, who was in turn chasing after the bug. We got to a clearing, and Remilia had stopped, staring at the bug youkai. Under the light of the full moon, Wriggle was standing right next to a tree, staring at something.

A beehive.

_Yeah, this night has gotten off to a great start._

Wriggle stared at the beehive, then slowly turned to us, her eyes narrowed and a small smile formed. Remilia's eyes widened, however.

I already knew what Wriggle was going to do. And I _really_ started to hate the bug youkai.

"Oh, don't you dare."

_I'm with Remilia on this one! Don't throw a freaking beehive at us!_

Wriggle grabbed the beehive from the branch, and shook it. I could hear the bees inside beginning to buzz in anger.

_Wriggle, whatever sympathy I had for you for ticking off Remilia, it's gone. I hope you get torn apart._

Not nice of me to think that, but I was in a very bad situation.

"Don't you dare!"

Ignoring our protests, Wriggle dared. She emitted a battle cry and threw the beehive at us. It broke at our feet, and I saw the swarm of angry bees begin to fly around us. The enraged buzzing drilled into my ears, as my whole body tensed, as if in anticipation of being stung repeatedly.

The only thing I had going for me was a lack of a bee allergy, but still, one can die from the venom in the stingers due to enough of them. In junior high, I learned that it takes about ten stings per body pound to be lethal, barring being allergic or resistant to stings.

I hated the fact that I knew such a thing in that situation.

Except that the bees went down to the ground. You see, Nagato had done something. She simply put the bees to sleep. As quickly as they had nearly covered us, they went back down. I never found out _exactly_ what Nagato did, but whatever it was, it worked.

Remilia and Sakuya stared at the downed bees, then their gaze went to the bug youkai: giving said youkai a death glare. Wriggle stared at us; as we were no longer under threat of being stung, her jaw dropped. Wriggle had to know she was in trouble. Remilia brought out Gungnir, and tapped it in her hand, while Sakuya brought out her knives. In response to seeing those weapons, the bug youkai squealed as she ran off.

_Not so brave without your bugs, are you?_ My taunt would only get heard by me, however.

"What a unique creature."

That was Nagato, of course. I just patted her on the shoulder.

"Yeah, that's one way of putting it." _Considering it's a bug shooting bugs._ "Anyways, thanks for putting the bees down. That _was_ you, right?"

Nagato nodded. _I'm so grateful you're here._ Sakuya gave another sigh as she went up to her master and sheathed her knives.

Remilia watched the youkai run off into the darkness, taking a deep breath and sighing.

"Sakuya, I know I shouldn't waste my time with her...but...I _really_ want to squash that bug right now. Just...pluck off those antennae on her head. _Slowly_. Make her squirm like the bug she is."

"I'd rather you didn't torture anyone tonight, Remilia." I said. "Even if they somewhat deserve it."

I heard Remilia let out a little laugh at that, as Sakuya was at her master's side.

"Is everything all right, Milady?"

"Oh I'm okay." Remilia looked up at Sakuya. "That bug didn't get a hit in. Such a simple creature." Remilia stared where Wriggle ran off to. "I just want to kill her, is all."

_She says that so casually._ But part of me _was_ more than annoyed with that youkai. First off, she _did_ try to catch and eat me, so that's a big negative, of course. Second, she threw a beehive at me.

_Stupid youkai._

"It's been a while since I noticed this, but the increase in fireflies lately makes everything so beautiful."

That was Sakuya. _That was out of nowhere._

Remilia raised an eyebrow at her maid.

"Sakuya, that comment totally clashes with the situation."

"I merely tried to change the subject, milady."

"Oh..." Remilia shrugged. "Well, I only heard the second half. What were you trying to say?"

Sakuya pursed her lips, and her face read "Forget it," while she said: "Nevermind. Forgive me."

Well, Sakuya was right. There _were_ a lot of fireflies out and about that night. But for what she said? Maybe Sakuya was just trying to get Remilia's mind off of that bug youkai, and I didn't mind. I for one didn't want to be sidetracked in Gensokyo chasing after such a weak youkai.

Remilia then started walking, with a purpose, to where Wriggle disappeared to.

"Miss Remilia Scarlet," said Nagato. "If I may make an inquiry?"

The vampire stopped and turned to us, hands on her hips. It was hard to read what kind of emotion Remilia was having. It was almost as if she was _happy_ to be going after that bug youkai.

"Go ahead."

"Wouldn't it be more efficient if we ignored the bug youkai and headed for the Hakurei Shrine?"

That was a good point, and just the one I was thinking. I for one wanted to stop wasting time and get to Reimu or Marisa, or even both. Just find them and get them to solve this incident and be done with it all.

"I'd agree with you, Nagato. Funny thing, is that the bug youkai _is_ running in the direction of the shrine. We have to go this way anyway." Remilia gave us that fang-showing grin. "So let's go exterminating!"

Again, Remilia took off. The three of us paused for a few seconds, glancing at each other.

"I can see some similarities between Remilia Scarlet and Haruhi Suzumiya," said Nagato.

"Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?" asked Sakuya.

Nagato didn't answer, just blankly stared at Sakuya for a second before going to join Remilia. The maid and I glanced at each other, and then back to direction of the Mansion.

"This is not going to be an easy night, is it?"

"No, Kyon, no it isn't."

_I can say, without a doubt, that this wasn't such a good idea. I never signed up to be a youkai exterminator._ As Sakuya and I rushed to join up with the other two, I really wished I had stayed at the mansion.

If I could take comfort in anything, it was that we were going to the Hakurei shrine.

* * *

_"Night bird, night song~ _

_Human shall turn off the light in the darkness~_

_Dream in the night, red in the night~_

_Humans will be crucified in the darkness~_

_Night bird, night song~_

_Humans light up the darkness~."_

While she sat on a tree stump, Mystia Lorelei cleared her throat, a little disappointed with that. She was off-key for most of it, and wanted to perfect her song. She had been working on it for a few weeks after coming up with it.

Of course, since she couldn't read or write, she had to do it all by memory. She couldn't put down the songs she came up with, and some of them were lost due to forgetfulness.

_I really do need to take the time to learn how to read one of these days. Besides, it's kind of embarrassing to own a business and not be able to do such things...but I guess it's actually impressive._

Mystia shrugged to herself, and decided that even without an education, she was doing all right. Then again, most youkai weren't educated - especially the fairies.

She stood up and stretched, wondering how she would pass the night away, when the image of the torn apart fairy entered her mind again.

_That was so mean. So...insane, even for here._ Part of her felt that she should have done something.

_And what? Get ripped apart by that pack of youkai? Maybe Wriggle was right - maybe it was none of our business._

The fairy's screams replayed in her head, but were interrupted another howl, somewhere in Gensokyo. Mystia grimaced, knowing that something was up, and that she didn't like it. She stared into the direction it came from, and saw something move in the bushes.

Her body tensed, her wings stiffened. ready to take flight -

And Wriggle Nightbug popped out. She was out of breath, her face beet-red.

"Mystia!"

Then the night sparrow youkai saw who was chasing her bug friend.

* * *

"Mystia!"

We didn't go far. Following Remilia to a clearing (and I swear I heard someone sing), we came out of the bushes to find two people. Wriggle had cowered behind someone. It was that bird youkai girl who ran that lamprey stand. Up close I noticed that she wasn't Japanese - she was European. She stared at us with her gray eyes as she brushed her short pink hair out of them. Her wings twitched as she saw us, as did her ears, which appeared to be pointed owl ears. The moonlight glistened off a small loop earring she had in her left ear. She had a white and brown dress that had numerous buttons on it - buttons with little wings. On her head, was some sort of cap with a larger winged button on top of it.

This bird youkai - she had to be a bird youkai - whom we heard Wriggle call "Mystia", kept her stare, while Wriggle shook behind her. The bird youkai was cute as well, and looked a bit younger than Wriggle, possibly even a bit younger than me. There was silence, all of us just looked at each other, not knowing how to proceed.

Remilia was the one to move up. She flicked her wrist at the bird youkai.

"Mind moving out of the way...miss...?"

The bird youkai blinked, pursing her lips.

"Mystia Lorelei."

_Lorelei?_ _So she's German?_ The Lorelei was the German version of the siren, if I remembered my folklore correctly.

"And no, I don't intend on moving. Whatever happened, you leave Wriggle alone."

Remilia seemed amused by this. She put her hands on her hips, and I could hear the glee in her voice.

"_...Or what?_"

_No, don't need this._ I knew Remilia was looking for a fight. I didn't want it to happen. I stepped between her and the two youkai.

"Hey, no. We're not doing this." I turned to the two. "Okay, Miss Lorelei. Your friend there, Wriggle, attacked us." _Attacked me._ "Now, I'd like to avoid any violence right now, okay? We don't have the time."

Because I really didn't like walking around Gensokyo at night. I wanted to minimize it.

Lorelei raised an eyebrow, glancing back at Wriggle, who just gave a small shrug. I heard the bird youkai mutter something with a disappointed look on her face, before she turned back to us.

"Really, Wriggle? Two humans, a..." Mystia looked over Nagato. "...and whatever _that_ is-"

_Don't offend Nagato._ Also, why are people in Gensokyo ready to insult each other so quickly? Why do they antagonize? Just something I'd like to know. And if Nagato was offended by such a statement, she didn't show it.

"-And a bat? That's an unusual group, Wriggle. You should be after humans, not bats."

"Is this seriously the brats' night out?" Remilia exclaimed, obviously frustrated.

_Considering how Remilia is acting, I'd say yes_. I was getting frustrated too, but with how Remilia was acting: calling her opponents brats, insulting, belittling them. Just as bad as these two.

"But of course, you can't blame Wriggle. Well-behaved children sleep during the day. The night is for us youkai to do a little man-hunting!" Mystia eyed me, a sickly sweet smile creeping on her face. She pointed at me with one of her long fingernails - they sort of looked like talons. Makes sense - bird youkai. Unusually, they were painted green. "I can understand why she wanted you, human. You look delicious." Mystia licked her lips, grinning. "A gourmet chef like me can cook you up _real_ nice!"

I of course didn't like that; I moved behind Remilia. I didn't like being referenced to as food, thank you very much. The vampire muttered to me.

"So, do you still want to do this diplomatically, or can we do this _my_ way?"

"I have a feeling you'll do it your way even if I said no."

She smiled at me, her eyes lighting up. "Quite right, Kyon. Just giving you the illusion of having a say in the matter."

"How thoughtful of you."

_At least you don't lie about it._

Remilia took a step towards the two youkai. "Mind stepping aside so I can get at that bug, Miss Lorelei, or should I shoot you down as well?"

Before Mystia could protest, Sakuya interjected. "Milady, we shouldn't stoop to this thing's level. There might not be enough time."

Remilia just shrugged. _About time someone pointed it out. _Well, I did point it out. It's just that I was ignored, like always. Go figure.

Mystia looked angry. She obviously took offense to that.

"'_My_ level'? Don't joke around!" she shouted at us. "Aren't you four scared by birds flying in the night?"

_There is something unsettling about birds at night, isn't there?_

"Who would be scared by such a creature like you?" scoffed the vampire.

_Well, there went the diplomatic solution of letting those two go. At least I made some attempt to diffuse the situation, even though it failed. _ I took further steps away from Remilia, in case the two started an attack.

"Whatever, you bat. I'll show you the true terror of darkness!"

"True terror of darkness? That's me, little bird."

"Oh really now?

Remilia looked back at us and grinned, before turning back to the bird. She spread out her wings, to the point where the wingspan had to be at least twice her height. Even from behind it looked intimidating.

"Yes. You see, there is another creature who rules the night." Remilia had dropped her childish voice. It went back to the more mature voice I heard in my time with her in the garden. "The night was made for my kind. I am not a mere bat. Look upon me, and know who I am."

Mystia stared at Remilia for a moment, before it dawned on her who she was. "Oh...wait a second..." She began to visibly shake, and slowly turned to Wriggle. "Wriggle...you...you attacked the Scarlet Devil?"

"Not her! Just the boy!"

"He's my servant, little bug. You attack my servants, you insult me."

"Mysti, I didn't know! I just saw the boy, and I acted!"

Mystia brought her palm to her face and grimaced at Wriggle. The two began to bicker.

"Damn it Wriggle, what the hell?"

"Not my fault! I just saw the boy!"

"Didn't you see who he was traveling with?"

"I didn't notice her! I'm telling you! My senses were focused on just him!"

"And now we got that Scarlet Devil angry!"

And they kept at it. Amazing, really, that they were in danger of being beat down, but they still found the time to bicker. They must be really good friends. The two kept at it with their comedy routine, with Remilia crossing her arms, obviously getting impatient. She began to tap her foot, waiting for the two to notice her again. Remilia glanced back at me with a raised eyebrow. I just shrugged at her.

"Hey, you were the one who wanted to waste time with these two."

"Shut up, Kyon," she said back in her child's voice.

"Just saying."

Remilia turned back to the two, and they were _still_ bickering.

"But maybe this will be good for us! Can you imagine the amount of respect we'd get if we take her down? All of Gensokyo will respect us!"

"Wriggle...that's more trouble than it's worth...but..." It appeared that Mystia liked that idea. The two looked over at the vampire, before looking at each other. Mystia gave a shrug. "I wouldn't mind that."

"Are you two done?!" Remilia shouted at them. The two youkai turned back to the vampire, whose wings were shaking with rage. "You know what? I don't even have to waste time with the two of you! You two aren't even on my level!" Remilia snapped her fingers. "Sakuya! Take care of them!"

"So...how is it that you want to start a fight but get someone else to finish it?"

Remilia gave me a nasty look, as Sakuya curtsied, and went up into the air. I looked up to talk to the maid, then I had to quickly look back down.

After all, she was above me. In a short skirt.

Yeah, my face was red. _Sorry, Sakuya._

...

_...Black lace..._

Anyways. *ahem*

"Sakuya, you sure about this?"

"Yes."

She didn't _sound_ so sure. As powerful as the maid was, she could still be taken down. I've personally seen that happen multiple times.

"Mysti, isn't that the maid?"

Wriggle pointed at Sakuya, and Mystia's eyes widened.

"Oh wow. Yeah, yeah that is." They turned their attention towards me. "Does that make you that 'Kyon' guy?"

_Hate that name._

"Hey, aren't you the guys who ended that Spring Snow Incident?"

Sakuya nodded once. Also, looked like word spread about that thing. _It was front page news after all. How about that. I have some fame, or infamy._

"We take her down, we'll be respected." Wriggle said to Mystia, referencing to Sakuya.

The bird youkai slowly nodded, and the two of them went up into the air, taking out spell cards.

"Uhm, isn't this unfair?" I asked. "Two against one?" I looked back at Remilia, but I noticed Nagato going up into the air. Maybe Nagato _did_ take offense to what Mystia said earlier.

_How about that. Nagato can fly. Then again, it shouldn't surprise me. Shouldn't be too difficult for her to "hack" herself that ability. Still wish she could make me fly, however._ Question is, how would I control such a thing? Would there be some training involved or something to learn how to control it? I would think so. I could understand Nagato becoming an expert at flying quickly, but for someone like me...I doubt it.

But enough musing about such a thing. As I've stated a while back, I'd never gain the ability to fly.

Anyways, Nagato joined Sakuya up in the air, the two silently staring at each other for a few moments. They then turned to their opponents.

Remilia, who was next to me, clasped her hands and let out a little gleeful laugh.

"Oh, this is going to be so entertaining! Makes me wish I had a seat and some tea to fully enjoy this!"

I somewhat shared her feeling. I for one was really looking forward to seeing how Nagato handled herself in a real Danmaku fight.

"Nagato!"

She turned to me.

"Good luck!" I said, giving her a weak thumbs up. Thinking about it now, I wish I had given her better words of encouragement.

She gave me a single nod, before turning back to her opponents. Danmaku knives began to form around Sakuya, and a small smile crept onto her face.

"Make the first move, youkai."

Mystia brought up her spell card. _Here we go._

[SPELL CARD: VOCAL SIGN "HOOTING IN THE NIGHT"]

_Weird name, but fitting for a nocturnal bird, I suppose._ Mystia spun twice, once clockwise, and then counter-clockwise. Two circles of danmaku surrounded her for a while, then they broke off, going in the general direction of their target. She kept at it, moving from place to place, and forming circles. Wriggle joined in, shooting danmaku.

Sakuya begun her knife-throwing dance, while Nagato silently floated behind the maid. The human interface watched how Sakuya moved for a while, before raising her hand. Blue energy formed in Nagato's palm, snowflakes forming, before they began to shoot out at the youkai.

"Interesting that Miss Nagato embraces her name to such an extent," remarked Remilia. She had found a fallen log, and was sitting on it. She motioned for me to join her, and I did. "Her name is Yuki, and she uses snow."

"Yeah." That was all I could manage to say. My focus was on Nagato in her first real fight in Gensokyo.

She appeared to use a bit of caution at first, and I wouldn't blame her. Can't really dive into the deep end when you first begin, can you? Nagato hung behind Sakuya, seemingly getting a feel for how fast the shots of her opponents moved. She followed the maid in her weaving around. It took few moments before Nagato appeared comfortable enough to move around on her own.

[SPELL CARD: ILLUSION SIGN "INDISCRIMINATE"]

Sakuya pulled Nagato close to her - I'm guessing so the human interface wouldn't get hit by the random nature of the knives for that spell card. I heard the two youkai swear a few times as they got grazed here and there by the knives.

[SPELL CARD: LAMP SIGN "FIREFLY PHENOMENON"]

Nobody had gotten _directly_ hit, so Wriggle used this attack again, but it was nothing either Sakuya or Nagato couldn't handle. Even Mystia joining in didn't cause enough concern for the maid or Nagato.

I saw Nagato bring up a spell card.

[SPELL CARD: HOKUETSU SEPPU "183"]

_Wow. That's interesting._ I was actually taken aback by the name of that spell card. For those that don't know, the Hokuetsu Seppu was a Japanese encyclopedic work on snowflakes, having a hundred and eighty three drawings of them. And it was another connection to Ukichiro - if I remember correctly, he was supposed to be inspired by that work to do his work on artificial snowflakes.

Anyways, the card. It was quite fitting - there were large transparent snowflakes forming, of all shapes and sizes. _I'm guessing that if I look up the Hokuetsu, I'll see those very snowflakes in it_. They hung there for a second, before breaking apart, sometimes just spreading out in a fan, or going in a clockwise or counter-clockwise fashion. Mystia and Wriggle had to step up on their dodging, as this spell card appeared to make them panic a bit. It was actually a pretty hectic spell card.

"Very impressive, Miss Nagato!" Remilia called out. "You take to Danmaku quickly!"

Nagato didn't respond to the vampire - she just kept her focus on the fight. I don't know why, but I felt some sort of pride watching my friend do well at this.

[SPELL CARD: MOTH SIGN "SPHINGID'S WINGBEATS"]

Mystia shot large body-sized balls of danmaku at her targets - a straight attack. However, there appeared to be...moths? Moths the size of small birds that "existed" for a few seconds. They formed, randomly flew around Mystia, and then disappeared. With each flap of their wings, they left a trail of danmaku, which hung in the air for two seconds before breaking in half, going perpendicular with their short flight. They got more numerous as the spell card went on, making it a hectic spell card. Because not only did Sakuya and Nagato have to contend with the broken danmaku, but also with Mystia shooting directly at them. Worst part? When a moth flew _into_ Mystia, it became another direct shot.

Wriggle took advantage of this, rushing towards Sakuya and Nagato, forming danmaku in her hands.

"No you don't!" shouted Sakuya.

[SPELL CARD: WOUND SIGN "INSCRIBED RED SOUL"]

_She has a new spell card?_ Sakuya brought out two real knives. Clenching her teeth, she..._launched_ into an attack. It was like seeing a Street Fighter game, where E. Honda does his hundred hand slap. Except unlike that sumo wrestler, Sakuya was armed with knives, and used both her arms. Her arms were _blazing_, and anything in that range would have been cut to ribbons. Sakuya was actually deflecting Mystia's shots, much like how I'd seen Youmu do in the afterlife. Wriggle of course backed up, not wanting to taste those knives.

"By the Gods!" exclaimed Wriggle. I didn't blame her.

The bug waited out of Sakuya's range, and waited out the spell card, before producing one of her own.

[SPELL CARD: WRIGGLE SIGN "LITTLE BUG STORM"]

Five threads of shots circled around Wriggle, layering around her three times in a counter-clockwise fashion, until it formed a circle around her. The top two layers then broke off, going out, while the inside layer broke in, surrounding Wriggle, before being shot out. Wriggle then moved to a new position, adding an extra thread to the attack each time, and alternating between clockwise and counter-clockwise. Mystia added to this by attacking as well.

I had begun to see a pattern in the fight, where they were taking turns using spell cards, dodging, and backing each other up when their partner used a spell card. It was actually quite gripping, not counting the fact that one of my friends was involved in the fight. Actually, two.

Remilia was just sitting there, enjoying the whole show. She had a huge grin on her face, and kept on making little gleeful noises, and pointing out how _awesome_ her maid was.

_I can't argue with her. Sakuya really is an amazing person. Beautiful, diligent with her job, and a fierce warrior._ And not only that, she was a pretty good friend, once you broke her out of her shell.

As soon as Wriggle's spell card was over, Nagato brought out one of her own.

[SPELL CARD: LETTER FROM HEAVEN "ASTEROID 10152"]

Ukichiro again? That was the asteroid that was named after the guy. Nagato raised her hand, and a danmaku ice ball began to form above her, growing bigger by the second. Wriggle saw this, and panicked. She whipped out another spell card, almost dropping it.

[SPELL CARD: HIDDEN BUG "HERMIT OF AN ENDLESS NIGHT"]

This spell card was a much faster version of the Little Bug Storm, and more intense. The bug youkai apparently wanted to take down Nagato before she could use that ice ball. Nagato just kept moving, still charging her ice ball. Even Mystia joined in, trying to take down Nagato, firing danmaku at the human interface.

[SPELL CARD: TIME SIGN "PRIVATE SQUARE"]

Sakuya used a barrier spell card to protect herself and Nagato, who finished forming her attack. I was actually impressed by the amount of teamwork Nagato and Sakuya were using. It was also kind of unfair. Nagato was charging up a shot, and her two opponents couldn't do anything due to the barrier.

But I'm not going to judge Nagato, nor Sakuya.

Nagato pointed at Wriggle, and the ice ball (which was as big as a truck at that point) just _launched_ at Nightbug. Wriggle dodged the "asteroid", I guess I can call it that, but as the ice ball moved, chunks of ice broke off and went in random directions. Wriggle was just _smacked_ by one of them (she got hit right on the side of her head), and she went down, slamming into the ground. She was out cold. Pun intended.

"_Wriggle!"_

Mystia shouted that, and then looked back up at her opponents. She was outnumbered two-to-one.

"Care to forfeit, little bird?" taunted Remilia, beaming.

Mystia stared back down at her fallen friend, her hands becoming fists. Taking a deep breath, the bird youkai cleared her throat. She then started to make noises. It took me a while to realize that she was preparing her voice - like how a singer warms up. She was going through the notes.

Sakuya looked down to us, her face silently asking "what the hell?" I gave her a shrug in response. I had no idea what the bird was going to do, and neither of my companions did either.

After the bird was finished, she glared at her two opponents.

"Okay. Let's do this. I like to call this little number 'Deaf to all but the Song'".

Mystia began to sing an aria. She actually had an amazing voice, but I was confused as to why she began to sing in the middle of a battle.

And then things got weird.

The night began to get darker. No, a cloud did not go before the moon. Everything began to go darker - the amount of light I could see decreased. I also felt kind of disoriented, almost similar to the Mayohiga effect. I saw Sakuya rub her eyes, almost as if she was experiencing the same thing. Nagato had brought up her hand to her eyes, and I saw her blinking. Mystia disappeared into the blackness.

A thought went through my mind.

"The bird is doing something!"

Remilia also rubbed her eyes and looked around. She was obviously bewildered.

"I've heard of this! There's supposed to be a youkai that causes night-blindness!" Remilia glanced up where bird used to be. "I can't believe it's her!"

_Oh that's just great. I would have liked to known that before we went out._ Then again, how would we have known we'd run smack into that youkai?

"That's right, _little_ vampire! I've got- _oh crap!_" Mystia took the time to stop singing to taunt Remilia, but when she did, the night-blindness went away, as well as the disorientation. Sakuya used that opening to throw a few knives at the bird, but missed.

"She has to keep singing to do that!" I exclaimed.

I took a second, wanting to slap myself after saying that. _Way to go, Captain Obvious. You're treating Sakuya and Nagato like idiots by pointing that out._

Also, wasn't this unfair? That Mystia could do such a thing? Blind her opponents and get an easy victory? Granted, getting an invincible barrier up and running was also an unfair advantage... For all the rules Danmaku had, there appeared to be some leeway.

Mystia went right back to singing her song, the darkness coming back, but not before she called out a spell card.

[SPELL CARD: HAWK SIGN "ILL-STARRED DIVE"]

The night-blindness still was in effect. Mystia disappeared further into the darkness her singing had afforded her. She sent out a few danmaku hawks, which were doing the same thing as the moths - left danmaku behind. Sakuya took them down with a few accurate knives, and they disappeared. But Mystia still attacked, sending out two different shots. They were transparent symbols. One "waved" around the battlefield, leaving a blue danmaku trail. The other did the same, except it just fanned out and left a red trail. For both, the danmaku broke in half again. Blue broke perpendicular, while red broke in a 45 degree angle. Very complicated, and it was very chaotic.

Sakuya squinted her eyes, knives in hand,

"I can't see her!"

_I think that's the point of Mystia doing this._

I called out to Nagato.

"Nagato! Can you do anything?"

"It's difficult to detect where she is. The shots-"

Nagato gasped, as a danmaku grazed her arm. She quickly held where it struck her body and shuddered.

"You okay?!"

"I...I think so." Nagato rubbed her arm, her jaw clenching. "That felt unique."

_Unique isn't the word for that. Getting hit by Danmaku just plain sucks._

Mystia's voice went louder. The night-blindness got so bad, I couldn't see two meters in front of me. I couldn't even imagine how it was for Sakuya or Nagato up there.

"Damn it," muttered Remilia. "I have night vision, and even _I_ can't see what's going on!"

_It's a bad sign when even a vampire can't see at night, isn't it?_

[SPELL CARD: NIGHT SPARROW "MIDNIGHT CHORUS MASTER"]

As I could not see what was going on, I couldn't tell what pattern this spell card had.

[SPELL CARD: TIME SIGN "PERFECT SQUARE"]

Thankfully, I heard Sakuya use a barrier spell card. I don't know how they would have survived otherwise. I then heard Sakuya shout out.

"Nagato! Do you think you can figure out where she is?"

"I think so. It's difficult, however. The singing is hampering my ability to locate her."

It was true. I could hear Mystia singing, but I guess the disorientation also worked on an audible level - I couldn't tell if she was behind me, in front of me, or wherever she was, so locating her by ear was a bust.

There was a few more moments of zero-visibility, and then I heard Mystia cry out. The darkness went away instantly, and I saw the bird youkai holding her leg. What happened was that Nagato and Sakuya had resorted to firing blindly towards where they thought Mystia was, and got a lucky shot.

It's what I would have done, truthfully.

Mystia quickly brought out another spell card and began to sing that song again before the two could really attack her.

[SPELL CARD: NIGHT-BLINDNESS "SONG OF THE NIGHTSPARROW"]

Mystia must have been weakening, because the night-blindness effect wasn't as bad - I could see three meters around me. But again, I couldn't see where she was, the pattern, or what anyone was doing.

You know, despite it causing night-blindness and confusion, I actually liked the song she was singing - "Deaf to all but the Song". It was kind of catchy.

[SPELL CARD: LOW TEMPERATURE SCIENCE "UKICHIRO'S SNOW CRYSTALS"]

[SPELL CARD: ILLUSION SIGN "KILLING DOLL"]

About as quickly as Mystia used that spell card, Nagato and Sakuya used theirs. I was relieved at hearing the Killing Doll being used._ Good old Sakuya, using her homing attack when she really needs it._

At the edge of my vision, I saw Remilia smirk and cross her arms.

"Ha! The Killing Doll. It's over for that little bird."

As she said that, the darkness went away again. Mystia had gotten hit, by both the knives _and_ the snowflakes, and yelped as she fell to the ground, actually landing on Wriggle, who was still out. I let out a long sigh, just beyond _relieved_ that the fight was finally over with. Then I noticed the two - Nagato and Sakuya's clothes had a few tears and burn marks on them.

_Yeah, that was a bad situation to be in. Being shot at and only able to see two meters in front of you._

Sakuya smirked, cracking her knuckles, although I could see her skin a bit red from where the shots had to have grazed her. Same with Nagato.

"Done, Milady."

"Excellent, Sakuya." Remilia stood up off the log and made her way towards the downed youkai. "Even under extreme circumstances, you still managed to beat such troublesome..._idiots._" The vampire stopped, standing over them.

As Sakuya landed near Remilia, Nagato landed near me.

"So, how was it?"

"Danmaku?"

"Yeah, and also flying. How were they?"

She silently stared back at her two opponents, and then back to me...with a small smile. "I found both to be enjoyable."

"Obviously. You're smiling."

Her eyes widened a bit, and she brought her hand up to her mouth. She pressed her fingers into the corners of the smile, here eyes widening even more.

"You...you didn't _know_ you were smiling?"

She shook her head, her smile fading.

_Something is going on, and it's not just the incident. This is proof that something is going on with Nagato. Even she doesn't know what it is._

"You all right, Nagato? You've been behaving differently. From how you normally behave. Not that it's a bad thing, you know? It's just...is there something going on?"

She slightly pursed her lips.

"I don't know, Kyon."

Her eyes widened again, as did mine.

_She called me by that name..._

"Something _is_ going on if you call me that."

"I'm sorry."

I shrugged. I actually wasn't upset that she called me that.

"Don't be."

I looked over at Remilia and Sakuya, and the two youkai were stirring, getting up on their knees. The vampire and the maid were standing over Wriggle and Mystia, arms crossed. I heard Remilia saying something to the two - what, I couldn't tell you.

From behind the log I was sitting at, came a rustling. My body tensed, fearing another youkai, and I hopped up, moving quickly to the four. Nagato was at my side.

"Remilia!"

"Yeah, I hear it!" she said as she brought out Gungnir again. We all stared out at the moving bush.

And out popped a fairy. _I was scared by a mere fairy._

It was a fairy wearing a blue dress. Green hair, pony tail on her left side. Her wings were golden. I've seen that fairy before, playing with Cirno that one time near the lake.

Her eyes were wide with fear, until she saw us, and who we were standing over.

"Mysti?! Wriggle?! What-"

_She knows them?_

That thought was cut off by howls. And they were close. Chills went down my spine again, that primal fear coming back. The fairy turned towards the sound, and then she ran for us, hiding behind us - namely me.

"What the heck?"

The fairy looked up at me, with her green, pleading eyes, as she grabbed my shirt.

"Please! Protect me! They're after me!"

I noticed a few scratches on her arms and legs, along with a few slashes on her dress. She looked to have barely gotten away from a fight. I wondered why she didn't simply fly away, until I noticed that one of her wings was damaged - there was a tear right in the middle of one, and it was bleeding a little.

Seeing such a creature like her kind of tugged at my heartstrings.

"Dai-chan, what the heck happened to you?!" asked Mystia.

"Mysti! They came for me! They're killing all the fairies!"

_Killing all the fairies?_

A predicament that would have to wait - because out they came. More of those beastial youkai. They didn't come right for us - they circled us, like a pack of wolves. Remilia grinned as she twirled Gungnir.

"All right! And I thought this was going to be a boring night!"

"I'd take boredom over this any day," I remarked.

The little fairy, whom Mystia called "Dai-chan", clung to my body, shaking, as we were circled. The youkai snarled at us, baring their fangs.

I don't know why, but I brought out a vial. Maybe because I wanted contribute, you know? Besides my healing, I didn't really contribute during the last incident until near the end, so maybe I wanted things to be different. Granted, I did not want to be a part of all that, but I figured that if I was out there, I might as well play my part.

I shook the vial, and saw the liquid inside of it bubbling. I guessed that made it agitated and ready to be a danmaku grenade. Aiming at a group of youkai, I threw the vial..._I overthrew the vial_. It went way past them, about ten feet over their heads. I couldn't believe that I failed at such a simple throw.

Remilia looked back at me, a dumbfounded look on her face.

"_Really_, Kyon?"

My face was red from embarrassment. I really had no words for that.

_Lucky I'm not protecting myself, or that I'm in charge of fighting for myself. I'd be dead by now._

Seriously. That throw sucked.

The youkai, however, didn't appear to take it lightly. One from the group I threw it over then charged us.

Out of nowhere, Wriggle had jumped into view, giving the youkai a kick that whipped it's head back - its neck had to be snapped, with the violent reaction it made.

_When did she get back up?_

Wriggle then went up into the air, and directed a swarm of fireflies to cover some of the youkai that charged as a response to that. Mystia was flying around, singing an aria, making most of the other youkai claw at the air, grunting in apparent confusion.

I began to ask myself why Mystia and Wriggle would assist us, until I glanced down at Dai-chan. _They're helping her._

Remilia, Sakuya, and Nagato began to make short work of the lesser youkai that charged us. It wasn't long before the seven of us were left standing, still circled by the remaining youkai. I didn't do much, other than be a shield of some sort - the fairy was hiding behind me.

I'm going to mention something else here. Nagato was helping out at first, but then...I don't know. She did something to defend herself from one of the youkai's attacks - she waved her hand, and _something_ happened. It appeared to be more of a reaction than anything else - she just acted on the spur of the moment, and some sort of ice formed. After doing that, Nagato then kind of froze up, staring into her hands. She didn't participate in the battle after that.

"_Nagato what the hell are you doing?!" _shouted Sakuya as she came to the interface's aid.

Even after we dealt with the attacking youkai, we were still surrounded. The rest of them advanced on us at the same time from all angles.

And then something strange happened. Again.

[SPELL CARD: WAR COMMAND "DOLL'S WAR"]

Someone used a spell card, and it wasn't any of my companions there. From the shadows, there came little girls armed with lances, swords, and other weapons, downing the remaining youkai. There had to be dozens of these little girls.

Those little...dolls.

_Dolls. Those are dolls. _The shadows betrayed the size of the warriors. They were dolls, which only meant one person...unless there was someone else in Gensokyo who could control dolls. And considering how creeped out I get by the dolls of Gensokyo, I hoped there wasn't.

The dolls put down all the youkai that surrounded us, save for one, another especially large beastial youkai. It looked like a pigman, with its snout and tusks.

_Man the way these things are designed, it's like they are directly from my nightmares._

The dolls then ran around the one left standing, circling it. The youkai suddenly started to gasp for air. In the moonlight, I saw what had to be the shine off of a fine, metallic string wrapped around its neck. The dolls then appeared to grab onto the strings that they were attached to, and pulled hard. My eyes followed the shine of the other direction, up to a tree branch.

And there, akin to a grand anime introduction, stood Alice Margatroid. The rings on her fingers, where the strings were attached, reflected the moonlight. Alice was wearing a shorter skirt and sleeves than I last saw her - blue dress, white capelet, and still carrying her grimoire - the one that took her humanity and made her a youkai. She also had long leather boots that went up to her knees, and sported an especially large backpack, with various dolls hanging off of it.

As much as Alice creeped me out, I was happy to see her.

Alice, still clutching the strings, pulled and pulled on them, bringing the youkai to its knees, as it attempted to breathe. She kept tightening, and I could see as blood began to drizzle where the strings made contact with the neck.

_She's using her puppet strings like a garotte wire!_ Somehow Alice had found a way to be even more creepy!

The puppeteer then jumped down, walking up to the youkai, still tightening her wires, still strangling her target. Alice showed no emotion as she was doing this, just staring into the eyes of the youkai as she choked the life out of it. Eventually, the youkai's limbs went limp, but Alice didn't stop tightening her grip.

She didn't stop until she decapitated the thing.

_Are they doing this on purpose? Being extremely violent so they can get a scare out of me and a free fear meal?_ _Was that how it worked?_ I'd never get an answer to that.

Alice stood there, as the body of the youkai went to the ground. While she was still staring down at it, she made a motion with her hand, and all the dolls returned to her, assembling themselves on her backpack, or even going into it.

_She's a one-woman army. Another girl I'm grateful to have on my side._ I mentally paused for a second. _She's on our side, right?_

"Miss Margatroid! Impressive!" Remilia sheathed Gungnir as she walked up to Alice. "Haven't seen someone do that in a long time!"

Alice still stared down at the headless youkai she killed, not responding. Remilia patted the puppeteer on the back.

"Aren't kills like that the best? The ones where you can stare into their eyes, and watch as the light of their life extinguish? Kills like that are a treat."

_Remilia, please. You're going to give me nightmares._

Alice took a deep breath before responding, her voice flat. "I took no pleasure in that, Miss Scarlet. It's just that...that _thing_ attacked you all. I had to make it pay for attacking my friends."

During all that, I had moved to Nagato, who was still staring into her hands.

"Nagato? Nagato? You okay?" I was really worried about her - her freezing up in the middle of a battle; Hell, her freezing up in general scared me. "Nagato? Seriously, are you okay, because you just standing there is starting to scare me."

While she was still staring, she spoke. Her voice was unemotional, but...shaky?

"I don't mean to scare you. I...I created matter. I created data from nothing. I created a shield. I didn't alter any data to make it. I...made it from nothing."

"What does that mean?"

Nagato swallowed hard. "Kyon...I think I'm evolving."

"That's...that's good, isn't it? No, isn't that great?" I turned her to me. "Nagato, this is what you've been born to do, isn't it?"

Nagato looked up to me. Not with eyes that had any resemblance of wonder or anything like that, but surprisingly, of fear.

"I don't know. If I'm evolving, if we've solved the problem we had...then what would be the point of me being assigned to...?" She didn't finish that sentence.

"The brigade."

She nodded.

_Nagato is scared. I'm actually seeing her scared._

"But do you feel fine? We can worry about evolution thing later, but do you feel fine?"

Another nod.

"Then right now, that's all that matters. Whatever is happening to you is-"

"Making me more human? Is that what you're trying to say?"

I gave her a shrug. "Not the words I'd use..." I thought about it for a second. "Well, actually, yeah. Those would be the words I'd use. Sorry."

"Don't be. I don't dislike it." She looked up at the night sky, breahing in and out. She was silent for a moment before speaking again. "But...Kyon, what is this place? What is Gensokyo?"

"A very wondrous place." We turned to see Alice, who said that, with a small smile. She looked genuinely happy to see me. "Hello Kyon. Been a while, hasn't it?"

She gave me a quick hug.

"Yeah, it has been. How you doing, Alice? You still okay?"

"If by that you mean 'have I come to terms with what I am?'" She slowly nodded. "Somewhat. I can't give you a yes or no answer. Just a 'somewhat'. It's still taking me a while to get used to it." Then Alice turned to the human interface. "And this would be Yuki Nagato, correct?" Alice extended her hand, which Nagato took. "Pleased to meet you. Alice Margatroid." Nagato gave a silent nod while they shook hands. Alice stared back up at me with those multi-colored eyes. "So, this is a very interesting night. Three members of the S.O.S. Brigade are in Gensokyo."

Nagato and I quickly glanced at each other.

"_Three?_"

Alice nodded, and then turned her head to her right.

"Mikuru."

_What?!_

The beautiful time traveler, Mikuru Asahina, timidly stepped out of the shadows, and her eyes lit up when she saw me and Nagato.

_Good Lord. Something big really is going down. Also, what the heck? How is she in here? _**_Why_**_ is she in here?_ As much as I was glad to see her, I knew that Gensokyo was no place for this girl. _Heck, Gensokyo is barely a place for_ **_me._**

Also, I had noticed that we were in quite a large group. Sakuya and Remilia were talking things over. Alice, Nagato and I were being joined by Asahina. And Wriggle and Mystia were over with that Dai-Chan fairy, going over her wing. This was a large group.

"Kyon! Nagato!"

Asahina ran to us, and embraced me.

"Asahina, what in the world are you doing here?"

She was shaking and appeared to be ready to cry her eyes out.

"I don't know! I was walking home yesterday, and all of a sudden I find myself outside Miss Alice's house!"

I looked over to Alice. "If that's the case, then thank you for taking care of her, by the way."

"It was nothing. In fact, she enjoyed playing with my dolls."

Playing with those creepy things? Well, they were well-made dolls, and I guess they _could_ be cute. It's just that I knew that they are used for battle. I've _seen_ them move in battle. That was pretty much my first impression of them.

"Yes. Miss Alice was so nice to me! She even offered to find out why I'm here." Asahina thought that over, and her eyes widened, as it really dawned on her that Nagato and I were there in Gensokyo too. "Actually, why are we all here?"

"I haven't the faintest idea. We'd like to know that too."

I shifted a bit, as I was still being held by Asahina. Not that I minded, you know, but I still was wondering if she would let go.

"Uhm...Asahina...?"

"What?"

She took a moment to compose herself, and then realized that she was still embracing me. Blushing bright red, she jumped back like I gave her an electric shock.

"Ah, I'm sorry. It's just been a weird day for me."

"Yeah, I can believe that."

"Can you believe this place, Kyon? It's so..._weird_."

"That's one way of putting it." I said that as I noticed that Dai-chan fairy look over her damaged wing. Mystia and Wriggle were still talking to her, but then they all went silent as the vampire neared them.

"Now, back to business." Remilia said as she approached them, arms crossed. "What should I do with the two of you?"

"Easy, Remilia." I said as I went to the fairy. I downed a vial (wow it tasted bad), getting the Supernatural Border up and running. I tagged the fairy - getting the barrier up and healing her.

"Human, what-" Dai-chan's eyes widened as the Supernatural Border surrounded her as well. I thought "to hell with it" and tagged Mystia and Wriggle as well. Why not? They did assist in that battle earlier. Maybe some sort of payback.

The three of them, the fairy, the bug, and the bird, (what a weird group), just stared at me, apparently at a loss for words. Their wounds healed up.

"Kyon, you shouldn't have wasted a vial on them."

"Remilia, there's nothing wrong with healing them, right? They did help us out, after all."

"But why did you heal up the bug? She was going to eat you."

_That's true._ "When you put it that way..." I shrugged.

Remilia then moved, quickly, getting the stunned Wriggle and Mystia in a headlock - after a quick thrust to end the barrier surrounding them.

"Well now. I appreciate the assist, but I am still a little miffed that you decided to attack my servants and I. Now...what do you two have to say for yourselves?"

I could tell that Remilia was squeezing on their necks. Wriggle and Mystia struggled for a bit, panicking. Wriggle made a little choking noise before speaking.

"Sssss...ssorry! I'm...so...sorry!"

Mystia was frantically trying to break free, but to no avail.

"We're sorry! _We're sorry we're sorry we're sorry_!"

Remilia finally smiled.

"That's what I wanted to hear."

She let them go, and they collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. Remilia then looked back up at me.

"Okay then, since you seem to 'know' what you're doing, Kyon...what should I do with them?"

"You're still going to hurt them, aren't you?"

"Maybe not the bird, but definitely the bug."

Wriggle held up her hands.

"Whoa whoa whoa. Hey, a girl's gotta eat. I thought he was a free meal. It was a mistake, all right?"

"Please don't talk so casually about eating me." I glanced over at the vampire. "You know what, Remilia? Go ahead and smack her if you want."

Not nice of me, I know, but it's also not nice to talk about eating another person.

Wriggle whipped around to face me.

"Why you little- _ow!"_

Remilia used the handle of her spear to bonk Wriggle on the head.

_"...Kyon?!"_

We all turned to Asahina, who exclaimed that. Her jaw was dropped, as she stared in apparent shock at me.

Not just me. It was as if she finally realized the people we were with weren't really people. She had to have noticed the wings on Remilia and Dai-chan's backs, the bird features of Mystia, and the antennae on Wriggle's head. Not to mention my Supernatural Border.

This was an unusual sight, to say the least. If I was in Asahina's position there, I'd react the same way.

"W-what _was_ that? That red thing? What happened to you? Who are these people? Where are we? Why are we here? What's going on?!"

_Missed out on "how" and "when"._

She kept on stuttering, unable to really speak. _Ah, right. She doesn't know._ I heard Sakuya sigh.

"Explanation time?"

I shrugged. "Looks like it."

"Okay. But can we do this at a different location? The youkai here are stirring."

She was right. Already they were beginning to move their limbs. _Alice used a spell card to knock out the lesser youkai. They aren't dead yet._

* * *

The woman yawned and stretched, feeling the stiffness in her body. She had slept for a long while, and had felt the seal around her weakening. It finally gave way, like it did every full moon. The woman got up and looked for her warden.

"Hello? Miko?"

The woman, still stretching and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, looked for the miko in the shrine. She went into the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of sake for herself. _Well, if the miko isn't here, then she shouldn't mind if I steal a drink._

Drinking straight from the bottle, she did a quick look around. _Weird. The miko is usually around to see me awaken, to make sure I 'know my place' and all that other nonsense._ The woman didn't hold it against her. The miko defeated her multiple times, and instead of sealing her away for good, had allowed her to awaken and be free every now and then. It was a good deal, actually.

_Better than being sealed up in Makai, that's for damn sure. You get sealed up in there, there's a good chance you don't come back out._

The woman then went to the front door, and opened it. What she saw made her take a step back.

_That's...unusual._

The grounds of the shrine were a mess. Stalls, litter, broken tables, chairs, stains of wines, uneaten food, garbage...it looked like a festival had occurred but nobody bothered to clean it up. Actually, judging by the broken tables, it looked like a fight had also occurred at said festival.

_There is even danmaku scarring around. Someone had a heavy fight. Too bad I missed it._

Mima took another drink of sake, as she stared out at the Hakurei shrine's grounds, wondering where Reimu Hakurei was.

* * *

We continued our way to the Hakurei Shrine, after learning that was where Alice and Asahina were going anyway - it would be the safest place for the time traveler. Sakuya had taken Asahina aside and went about explaining what was going on - my time in Gensokyo, the Spring Snow Incident, all that. Remilia took great pleasure and amusement in hearing Asahina's reactions to hearing all of those events. Alice walked alongside me and Nagato, while the fairy, whose name I learned was Daiyousei, tagged along, as she said she would feel safer with us, and possibly safe on the Hakurei Shrine's grounds. Wriggle and Mystia followed Daiyousei from a distance, I guess wanting to protect their friend - we did learn that they were indeed friends.

Nagato, however, had remained silent ever since her discovery.

While I was happy for her, it also scared me. What she mentioned was true as well. The only reason why she, or why the whole Data Society was interested in Haruhi was because of the potential of auto-evolution. Nagato had achieved her goal for her people, but what did that mean? Would she have to leave the S.O.S. Brigade? Would the Data Society just pull back from Earth or whatever and go to their origins in the universe? I asked her such questions during the time it took Sakuya to explain what was going on to Asahina, but Nagato didn't answer. As I said, she was silent.

Sad. She accomplished something very big for her race, but she might have to leave as a result. That was what she appeared to be afraid of. Truth be told, I was afraid of that myself. I'd have to lose a good friend.

As for her "acting more human", and I don't really want to say that, but it is what it is...well, I didn't mind it. Not that I didn't like the old Nagato just fine, but seeing her open up as a small result of some of that evolution was kind of nice. She appeared to be able to express herself a bit more. I liked it.

I looked over to my other Brigade associate. Mikuru was obviously scared of Remilia, and walked so that Sakuya was in between her and the vampire. _Hopefully, she'll get over it._ Also, I guess this was one vampire this girl didn't appreciate.

I turned to Alice, noticing a doll hanging around her. It was a little blonde doll with wings and a red dress. It silently stared at me as it floated in the air over Alice's shoulder. It didn't go into her pack, and it actually didn't appear to need to be attached to strings. It was just a free-floating doll.

"Alice, what," I said, pointing at the doll. "Or who, is that?"

"Oh." Alice's eyes brightened up. "Kyon, this is 'Shanghai'."

The doll gave me a single nod. It flew up to me, doing a curtsey, and then went back to Alice's side.

"Is...is she alive?"

_Because that would be 10/10 on the creepiness scale! I don't need nightmares of living dolls tonight, thank you!_

"No. I have been doing a lot of research, and she is my most advanced doll. She is not fully sentient, but she is semi-autonomous, and has a small level of intelligence. Shanghai is, for better terms, my servant."

Alice smiled at me, and then looked forward, losing the smile as quickly as it had formed. "It's been difficult." Alice said out of nowhere.

"What has? Making Shanghai?'

"Well, yes, but that wasn't what I was talking about. Yes, finding the materials, constructing the doll, and finding the right incantations and mechanisms to make her work has been a challenge, but I didn't mean that. No." Alice nodded over to Remilia, as if referencing her. "Ever since you've left, I've tried to handle it better. What I've become. Changing from your original form into a youkai is a..._difficult_ process. It's not gentle."

"What do you mean by that?"

Alice stared at me. "Think of what your teenage body is going through - puberty. Over a series of years, growth spurts, chemicals introduced into your body, hormones, and the like, rapidly turn you into an adult. It's a change in your body. For turning into a youkai..."

Alice looked over at Wriggle.

"I mean, look at the bug youkai. Going from the form of a mere firefly into a young woman? The change was rapid. Am I correct, firefly?"

Wriggle blinked, a bit off guard in that she was spoken to. The bug youkai pursed her lips, and gave us a shrug.

"Ah...I think so. I mean, I don't remember much about the change...other than I didn't like it. I mean, I like what I've become, but I didn't like going through it."

"And you - Mystia, was it? What were you before you became this?"

"I was a night sparrow. And Wriggle's right. The change was not easy."

Remilia slowed down to join our conversation. Truthfully, she didn't so much "join" as "butting in". "Alice isn't far off. The change is violent - mentally, emotionally, and physically taxing. Youkai suffer from some sort of psychosis and insanity because of what their bodies went through to attain their humanoid form. If you want the most extreme case...well..." Remilia paused, and let out a deep breath. "You have Flan."

_Then...that explains a lot._

"She wasn't like that before she was turned. No, she was a sweet little sister, actually...but her turning into what she is broke her, and she became what she is now. The truth is, there are no youkai that don't have some form of psychosis. Even purebloods - youkai born as youkai - have a form of insanity."

I had to word the following right, as I didn't want to offend her.

"So...what you're saying is that you are insane."

Remilia grinned at me.

"Maybe."

"Then again you appear to take great pleasure in killing. I think it's safe to say that you are psychotic."

"That's different. I _embrace_ what I am, Kyon. I have fun doing what I do." Remilia spread out her arms. "If that makes me insane in a world where people toil doing what they hate doing, year in and year out, until they grow old, bitter, and just die because they fail to take care of themselves, then yes. I'm insane." Remilia pointed at me, grinning. "The reality is, _you_ humans are insane."

"How do you deal with the nightmares?"

That was Alice, whom we turned to. For a brief while, she looked tired. "I've been having nightmares ever since I've become what I am. How long do you have the nightmares?"

The vampire appeared to mull that over for a few seconds, tilting her head back and forth. "Only for a few years, I think. It varies." Remilia rubbed the back of her head. "Flan had them for decades."

"Decades of nothing but nightmares." _Damn._ "I never knew she went through such a thing."

_And now that I know that she suffered to become as crazy as she is, I feel guilty for wanting to avoid her all this time._

"Like I said, Kyon. It was tough for her."

Alice sighed in resignation, closing her eyes, a sadness overtaking her face. I placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Being a youkai isn't all that it's cracked up to be, is it?"

"No. No it isn't."

We almost bumped into Sakuya and Asahina, who stopped. Sakuya already had her knives out, while Asahina made a beeline to hide behind me.

"What? What is it?!"

Then I heard it.

The sounds of something big moving amongst the trees. Think Jurassic Park, where the T-Rex was moving through the trees, and you heard the "thump" of its footsteps; the crunch of the flora in movement, brushing up against whatever was going past. Like that, but this was for real. Suffice to say, I was on edge, since this thing sounded massive.

_Oh please don't tell me that it's some sort of youkai._ Stupid thought. Of course it had to be a youkai. A big one at that.

There was a squeal, some sort of boar, I think, and running. The monstrosity that had to be in the forest moved quickly, obviously giving chase, the snapping of branches drowning out the sound my beating heart was making. A few thundering steps, and then the animal squealed one last time before apparently being killed. Remilia chuckled.

"Ah. She got it."

Asahina turned to the vampire.

"Who? What? Who got what? What got what? _What's going on?!"_

Grinning, Remilia nodded at the trees as Sakuya sheathed her knives.

"Well, I think the animal that was killed was a boar of some kind. As to who killed it, well, there is only one thing that it could be."

Before she could explain further, it rose above the tree lines. The moon was its backdrop, casting its shadow over us, and not allowing me to get a good look at it. A large figure, the most prominent thing were two horns on top of its head. They looked like they had bows tied on them.

_God Almighty. Have mercy._ And I threw in a few swears for good measure.

It was a girl. A large girl with horns - had to be a giant. My heart was in my throat as Remilia called out to it. Asahina squealed and shrunk behind me, as did the fairy. I myself wanted to hide behind Sakuya again.

I'm not a coward. It's just that the thing looked at least two-stories tall.

"Ah! Suika! Thought that was you!"

_Suika?_

As if sensing my confusion (and terror), Sakuya explained. It was the Mesmeric Mist Incident.

Two weeks prior to that night, Gensokyo partied for three days straight. It lead up to a feast at the Hakurei Shrine, but some sort of red mist covered the land, and everyone within it was in a partying mood. Reimu, thinking the Scarlet Mist was back, went to the SDM, took on and defeated Remilia a second time. Finding out that it wasn't her, Reimu then came across Yukari during the feast, who claimed to have a surprise for the miko. After defeating Yukari again, Reimu got that surprise. The "person" in question that was before us, the one who caused that red party mist.

Suika Ibuki.

An oni.

An actual freaking oni.

The two battled it out at the Hakurei Shrine in an epic confrontation, where Suika even used black holes against the miko, but to no avail. _Black holes?! Really?! _In front of Gensokyo and some of the human villagers who had shown up at the feast, Reimu beat down the oni, making her submit.

_Beating something that size...that's beyond impressive._

The giant ducked down, and moved towards us. The snapping of limbs continued to fill the night, though...

_Okay, this is weird. She's coming towards us. I can see the movements in the trees, but the sound is actually getting weaker. Yet she is definitely getting closer. This doesn't make any sense!_

The trees kept moving as the giant oni continued to lumber towards us. Nagato stared out at it, still unemotional. Wriggle and Mystia were holding onto each other, obviously scared, and Asahina's grip on me tightened. The branch-snapping kept getting closer, but weaker. The bushes in front of us shook-

And out popped a little girl with horns. Horns that had ribbons tied on to them. She had long blonde hair that ended in a ponytail, a sleeveless shirt (the sleeves were torn off), and a blue skirt. She also had chains attached to her wrists, though they only had a few links. She was also carrying a huge dead boar. This girl looked to be barely twelve years old, but she slung that hundred-plus-pound pig over her shoulder like it weighed nothing. She smiled at all of us.

"Hey Remilia! What's up!"

_The little girl in front of me is supposed to be an oni, one of the most powerful youkai ever. Tonight just gets weirder and weirder._

* * *

Reisen let out a silent deep breath. From the shadows, she stared at the girl with the long black hair. When Reisen snuck around, she found the girl just standing there, her eyes fixated on the door Reisen had planned to use to get to the entryway.

_Knew it. She was waiting for me. I would have walked right smack into her. However..._

Reisen continued to stay in the darkness, wondering how she would get out of Eintei. The girl was still there, her back to the front door, but Reisen knew that she needed to distract her before even thinking of opening the front door. Silently ducking back through the side rooms, the rabbit soldier began formulating several plans on how to distract the girl.

_Don't have any equipment, don't have anything, besides my sidearm and a few clips. Going to have to figure out with what I have in front of me._ Simplest plan would be to create noise. _Thing is, I make a noise, and the girl will be on me quicker than even I can react._

Reisen looked around for anything she could use. She was in the front office for her master - which was used for medical consultations. Her eyes fell on a well-stocked bookcase. _Medical books. A lot of them._

Reisen tilted her head. She had it. A small smile formed on her face.

_It's a child's game, but it'll buy me the distraction._

Working quickly but silently, Reisen set up the books along floor, standing them upright, one after the other, with one of the Luger's magazines balanced on top of the final book- sure to make noise. When she was done, she grinned. _Actually always loved to play with dominoes. Miss those days._ Reisen mused over the fact that she did all that setting up without making a single sound, feeling good about herself. Reisen then carefully stepped over her work, making her way to the side door. She coaxed the first book to fall, then quickly went to the entryway.

When she got there, she saw the girl's head perk up as the magazine clattered on the floor, and just as quickly went to the office.

_Outsmarted you!_ Reisen, hugging the wall, made her way to the front door. She glanced back to where the girl disappeared to, and didn't see anything. Reisen opened the front door, stepping outside, ready to run -

And there stood Tewi Inaba, the rabbit youkai, with static in her eyes, armed with her mallet. Just waiting for Reisen.

Instinctively, Reisen brought out her Luger, aiming it at the youkai's head. But it was no use - she knew she couldn't pull the trigger on Tewi.

_No no no no! Tewi..._

"Going somewhere?"

The girl's voice, from behind Reisen. The rabbit soldier whipped around, having no qualms about shooting the girl, but the gun was knocked away. The girl grabbed Reisen by the throat, lifting the soldier off her feet.

"You didn't actually believe that you stood a chance against me, did you, Sergeant?"

Struggling to breath, Reisen attempted to speak, but couldn't. The girl stared up into Reisen's eyes with no emotion. The girl squeezed harder.

_Damn it...I was so close..._

"What was that? I couldn't hear you."

Reisen attempted to fight, striking at the girl with her arms, her legs, anything to try to make her let go. But it didn't even appear to faze the girl.

"I don't know why you think you can beat me. Didn't you see me make short work of your master, of your rabbit friend there?" The girl brought Reisen closer. "Of your Princess?"

_I still have one trick up my sleeve! Bet you didn't know I could do this!_

Reisen made a "gun" with her hand, and pressed it up against the girl's face. Bringing the thumb down, she shot a magical bullet into the girl. Reisen was let go, as the girl held onto her face. The soldier gasped for air, using those precious seconds to locate her gun. She moved towards it, getting her fingers on it -

And was slammed against the wall by the girl. Reisen stared at the damaged face - and watched as it was healing quickly. The girl showed emotion, a small scowl on her face.

"You shouldn't have done that, rabbit. I _should_ kill you...but I have need of your abilities." A smile crept on her face. "Welcome to serving the Sky Canopy Domain."

_No! NO! NOT THAT!_

That was the last thing Reisen thought as she felt the sand take over her body, as she was plunged into darkness.

* * *

-entry-

-entities encountered-

-Mystia Lorelei, Nightsparrow Youkai

-Daiyousei, Fairy

-Alice Margatroid, Youkai (Formerly Human)

-Shanghai, Semi-Autonomous Doll

-Suika Ibuki, Oni

-Various Youkai

-Battle data recorded and sent.

-Personal Note:

-I have found the game of Danmaku to be enjoyable. The display of power. The planning that goes into each attack. The way one needs to always be ready to move. It is a very sophisticated way of combat.

**-"Mesmeric Mist Incident"**

**-Starting at the beginning of summer 2004, Gensokyo had constant feasts and festivals without a logical reason. This went on for the entire month of June, before July 1st, 2004. Reimu Hakurei decided to find out why this was happening. She had noticed a mist in the land. Led by her intuition, Reimu Hakurei defeated Marisa Kirisame, Alice Margatroid, and Youmu Konpaku, before initiating another assault on the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Defeating Hong Meiling and Sakuya Izayoi, the shrine maiden confronted Remilia Scarlet, under the impression that the Scarlet Mist Incident was occurring again. Defeating the vampire did nothing, and the mist persisted. Returning to her shrine for another festival, Reimu Hakurei met, fought, and defeated Yukari Yakumo. Then the shrine maiden found the culprit - the mist itself. Suika Ibuki, an oni, has the ability to change density, and became a mist to get all of Gensokyo to party by engulfing it with her essence. The two fought on the shrine's grounds, before the shrine maiden made the oni submit. The mist then ended.**

**-Suika Ibuki now resides with Reimu Hakurei as a result. Oni will follow those that are strong, especially those that beat them.**

**Status: ==RESOLVED==**

**-File catalogued by: Emiri Kimidori**

-[ADMIN 612:] Unknown status detected in entity Nagato Yuki. Explanation requested.

-{UPDATE} [ADMIN 612:] Please respond.

-{UPDATE} [ADMIN 612:] This is the third request we have put forth for your response. Respond, or face consequences.

-Response:

-I don't want to.

-N. Yuki

-end entry-

-logoff-

* * *

**Mima is usually seen with the bottom half of her body being that of a ghost tail. However, people forget that in Touhou 5: Mystic Square, the last time she was canonically seen in a game, she had developed legs. **

**I can literally listen to "Deaf to all but the Song" all day. I've done it, in fact. Just had it on repeat on an MP3 player all day on my birthday. It's such a good song, and one of my absolute favorites in the series. Could be my favorite boss theme, actually. Possibly a tie with "Septette for the Dead Princess" and "Love Colored Master Spark". "Green-eyed Jealousy" is up there as well. ...And "Staking your Life on a Prank."**

**Touhou boss music is so good, it's hard to pin down the best one. I still maintain that "Capital City of Flowers in the Sky" is the best song in the entire series, however.**

**Review this story! Lady Yukari demands it!**


	19. PN Episode 6 Imprecision Unabsolved

**My episodes are just getting wordier and wordier.**

**The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is owned by Nagaru Tanigawa. Touhou Project is owned by ZUN and Team Shanghai Alice. I own neither. This is a fan fiction of those works.**

**Beta Readers for this Episode:**

**Another Duck**

**werewolf2005**

* * *

The three youkai walked down the pathway, sticking to the shadows; two beast-girls and a woman. The smallest kept looking up at the sky, making sure she was out of the light.

"Chen?" Ran turned around and called out to her, "Is everything okay?"

One of Chen's tails flicked, as she continued to look up.

"We're not supposed to touch the light, right?"

Ran smiled at her, "Well, small exposure is okay for now. It wears off when you aren't getting bathed in it."

Chen slowly nodded, and turned to her master's master, Yukari Yakumo.

"Is everything okay, Lady Yukari?"

Yukari grimaced, looking back at the Scarlet Devil Mansion, which they just left.

"No. Not really. We just missed Yuyuko. I would have liked her to assist us, but..." Yukari looked up at the moon. "All things considered, it could be worse. At least Miss Patchouli knows what's going on now. And hopefully they can save any fairies that seek shelter."

_I hope they can. Gensokyo needs its fairies._

"I wish you were able to use your portals again."

"Chen!" Ran exclaimed.

Yukari smiled at the nekomata.

"No, it's okay, Ran. I wish I could use them as well. That damn fake moon has hampered my abilities, after all."

"But I thought it only affects you if you get hit by the light...right?"

"That would be true, Chen. Except that the moon is radiating some sort of power that hampers Lady Yukari."

Chen glanced over at the gap youkai, worried.

"Then we're affected too, right? Since we are her shikigamis. The two of us rely on her power for ours."

"Yes; that's the situation we're in. The Yakumo clan has been weakened."

Chen fidgeted, obviously uncomfortable with this. "So where to now?"

"The next step. According to my calculations, they've beaten the bug and the nightsparrow, on schedule. Next stop should be the human village."

"The what?" Chen scratched her head under her cap. "Where is the human village?"

Yukari looked back at her two servants. They obviously didn't know what she was talking about. Yukari opened her mouth to explain, but she couldn't find the words to describe the human village. _There's a blank in my memory. That only means one person. Only one person can do __that._

"Damn it. Keine. She's doing it again. That's all we need...even though I don't blame her, with the way the moonlight effects us."

_Great. Just great. This throws a wrench into my plans. Everything is not going my way tonight._

Ran shifted a bit. "So...if we can't meet them...wherever that village is, then where do we go?"

Yukari sighed, looking at her two servants. She knew she had to come up with a plan, and quick. To let the Sky Canopy Domain get the upper hand would be bad all around, especially since Yukari knew what was at stake.

"All we can do is wait for them at the step after that. The Bamboo Forest of the Lost."

_We're going to have to walk __all__ the way there from here. Around the lake, through the farming fields, around the village, and then go through the damn Bamboo Forest. A third across Gensokyo. Chen's right. I wish I had my portals, because we aren't going to make it until morning._

Yukari let out a sigh, and stopped. _I have to try. I have to try something._ She held up her hand, tensing her muscles, her whole body, focusing on a point.

_Come on...come on...I have to do something. I have Ran and Chen with me. I have some power left in my body for them to be around. I should be able to do this..._

_Please. Let me be able to do __something__._

* * *

**Perishable Night**

**Episode 6**

**["Imprecision/Unabsolved"]**

* * *

=**The History-Eater and the Remembered Village=**

_**"At the end of the pass, there was a small village where humans lived.**_

_**But when they reached there, the village is nowhere to be found..."**_

**-Touhou 8: Imperishable Night - Stage 3**

* * *

Suika Ibuki was indeed an oni. An oni that could change her density and size at will. She seemed unusually happy, even for Gensokyo, and just _reeked_ of sake. She smelled like she had swam in the stuff, which she may have essentially did - the way she spoke gave off the impression that she was heavily drunk. She even swayed a bit.

That scared me. A being that is supposed to be one of the strongest creatures in folklore just plain drunk. And not to mention that she was said to be able to make black holes. What was to keep her from crushing us while in a drunken stupor?

Come to think of it, what sort of chaos did Haruhi create when she was drunk back on that island? Ah well, thoughts for another time.

Thankfully, the oni appeared to be a rather nice, easy-going drunk. Suika had greeted us essentially at the bottom of the hill that the Hakurei Shrine rested on, and we all spoke to each other on the staircase up.

Turned out that Suika was the friend Yukari spoke of during her encounter with Reimu. And since Reimu was able to defeat Suika, the oni decided to follow Reimu, to become a friend of hers. Oni follow the strong, according to folklore.

It weirded me out to see such a small person be unnaturally strong, even though I hung out with Remilia and Nagato. That boar's body just kept flopping around, as Suika spoke, as she laughed, and as she skipped up the stairs. She acted like it weighed nothing.

_Then again, this is Gensokyo. A place where powerful creatures take on humanoid form and usually in the form of young girls._ What _was_ up with that anyway? That was actually a good question. Why did all the warriors of Gensokyo consist of girls? I'm not saying anything bad about it - in fact, I've gone on record to saying that I don't mind it, that I'm even grateful for it. Hell - girl power is great. I'm not a feminist or anything, but I can appreciate girl power. It was just something I'd like to know about Gensokyo.

Another thing I'd like to know was where the heck Reimu was. We had reached the top of the stairs, and looked out at the shrine's grounds.

_Okay, it's official. I'm worried._

The place was just a _mess_. Stalls, booths, broken tables, chairs strewn about everywhere. Debris, trash, uneaten food, bottles laying about, and a large rock just laying there. It was as if a riot had occurred during a festival. The only sign of life was a single campfire in the relative middle of the grounds between the stairs and the shrine itself.

"Either this shrine maiden is a very bad groundskeeper, or she hasn't been here for a while."

That was Nagato, surprisingly. What was even more surprising was that she said what I pretty much was going to say. She beat me to the punch there.

_Not minding her being more human._ Also, it was kind of relieving to hear her voice, especially since she had been silent since her personal discovery. Interesting, however, that she chose to have that as her first words.

"I've heard that Hakurei is lazy at her duties," scoffed Remilia. "But I didn't know she was _this_ lazy."

"Hey, uh, Suika, right? Do you know where-"

Suika pushed past us, not answering me, going to the campfire, and began to cut open the boar, throwing meat on a small grill that was positioned above it. Already the smell of cooked pork wafted around us, and I enjoyed the smell. Suika went about adding small splashes of alcohol to each meat, for flavor.

I noticed something. As Suika walked onto the property of the Hakurei Shrine, she paused for a second, and had to readjust the boar in her hands. She appeared to have some trouble carrying it as she made her way to the campfire.

Remilia, hands on her hips, stared out at the grounds.

"Where _is_ that miko..." She glanced back at us. "I'll see if I can ask that oni. She can be difficult, but she should talk to me. Just...look around or something."

Remilia, with Sakuya by her side, made their way to the oni. Daiyousei and her two youkai friends went off to some of the booths.

And again, like Suika - they all (save for Sakuya) paused for a microsecond as they entered the property of the shrine.

Alice did the same thing.

"What was that?" I asked.

Alice turned to me.

"Hmm?"

"You youkai pausing before entering."

Alice smiled as she brushed her bangs out of her eyes.

"It's because we are youkai." Alice looked over at the shrine, and back to me, as we walked towards the building. She pointed at it. "It's the holy ground. Youkai become weaker here. It's to make them more manageable for the Hakurei, and it keeps out the lesser youkai completely." The puppeteer nodded at Mikuru. "That's why I was bringing Miss Asahina here. It's the safest place for her in Gensokyo right now."

Kind of makes sense, and it's also a good defense. I imagine there are probably a lot of youkai enemies that the Hakurei family have made, and not all of them became allies like Remilia or Yukari did. It's smart to have a safe haven, a place where the protector of Gensokyo could have a peaceful place to rest and live.

Also, I'm going to mention something. During all of this, Shanghai was just floating over Alice's left shoulder, staring at me. It would blink every now and then, which I'm guessing it was made to automatically do, but it just kept its gaze on me. Very unnerving.

"I appreciate that, Miss Alice," said Asahina. "I wish I didn't have to be such a burden on you."

"You aren't a burden."

I called out to the shrine, as we were close.

"Reimu? You in there?"

A moment of silence, with no response.

"Damn."

"Hakurei Shrine." Nagato said that as she was staring out to the east. "That means the edge of the barrier is east of here, correct?"

I nodded, then a thought struck me. _I think I know what you're thinking._

"Yeah. Why, are you thinking you might be able to get Mikuru out of here?"

Again, as much as I like Mikuru, she would not be of much use in Gensokyo. Her older self would, but not in her younger form. _Also, I'd prefer Mikuru to enjoy Gensokyo during a peaceful time; not during an incident. This is the worst time for her to show up... _As it was for me.

Nagato gave me a little shrug.

"It's an option. If you feel that she might be safer back in our world, then I might be able to do it, or at least make the attempt to get her out." Nagato blinked. "Unless you'd like to go back as well."

I let out a sigh, and looked to where the border of Gensokyo was. It was just a stone's throw away from the shrine itself.

"Like I said - I'll see this through." I nodded over to the vampire. "Remilia's right, you know. We're here for a reason."

I had ultimately resigned myself to my fate. There would be a possibility that I wouldn't hear the end of it otherwise from Remilia, or anyone else in Gensokyo.

Nagato nodded.

"I have to agree."

"Is everything all right, Nagato? You're not acting normal."

That was Mikuru. She had timidly stepped up to Nagato, a concerned look on her face. Then, her face reddened. "Ah, not that you were normal to begin with. Ah! I mean-!" Her face got redder and redder. "Ah! I'm sorry! I didn't mean that at all!"

I couldn't help but smile at this. Poor girl gets flustered so easily. The difference between her and her older self could be jarring, thinking about it now. Sure, she would still get flustered, but she appeared more...'hardened', if I could use the words.

"Asahina," Nagato said, "It's okay. Even I'm put off by my behaviour."

I turned to call out to the shrine again, but then something weird happened. We were next to the rock, and then the rock moved. At first, my brain sent off all kinds of 'what the heck' signals, but then I realized why it was moving. It wasn't a rock - it was a turtle, a large one. About the size of a Galapagos tortoise, and it had a beard. It slowly came out of its shell, and stared up at me. It appeared to size me up.

"Uh...hi," I said. "Sorry about waking you up."

I know that turtles can't talk. It was just an automatic reaction to say that.

"Hello young man," it responded with the voice you'd expect a grandfather to have - warm, wise-sounding.

Well, damn. It spoke to me. A large turtle with a beard spoke to me.

_I love Gensokyo._

It stared at me as I examined it. Even Nagato and Asahina appeared to have taken interest - they joined me in the examination of a giant talking turtle. The turtle nodded to them, greeting them too. Eventually, I asked it if it had a name.

"My name is Genji. I am the Hakurei family pet."

"How come I didn't see you when I was here a few months ago?"

"I was probably asleep, young man. I hibernate."

He slowly moved towards the fire pit Suika had going, speaking. I think he was rambling to himself.

"Honestly, it's the only thing I can do these days. Watching my children raise their children, and watching Lady Hakurei grow not only as a fine young woman, but as an exceptional warrior. I just wish she would take her training more seriously."

"You were the one Reimu rode into battle."

Genji stopped, and his long neck turned to me.

"I was. Lady Hakurei and I have resolved a lot of incidents together. But ever since she learned to fly, I have retired from incident resolving. It puts too much of a strain on my heart, you know?"

The turtle continued its slow advance towards the fire, as Remilia and Sakuya came from there. The two of them stared at the creature for a few seconds (Sakuya doing a double take), before getting to us. Remilia was shaking her head.

"The oni is a bust. Possibly too drunk to know her own name even. Kyon, you and Sakuya look to see if Reimu is here."

"Can't you detect any heartbeat or whatever?" I asked.

"Can't. Not on this 'holy ground'. My abilities are hampered. It's because-"

"I already told him." Alice referenced to the youkai on the grounds. "He noticed it."

Remilia nodded. "Ah. Well, that makes things easier." The vampire looked at the shrine, stroking her chin. "Sakuya, Kyon, search the shrine itself. She might just be asleep or something."

"And if she isn't here?"

The corner of Remilia's mouth turned down. "Then we are going to be lost, because I have no idea where to look next. I never knew incident resolving required such footwork."

Sakuya curtsied, then looked to me. During all that, I had found that I had a flashlight in my satchel, which I turned on.

"Nagato, Asahina, you girls okay out here?"

That was more for concern for Asahina. She appeared to barely be holding it together. A place like this may have been too much for her mind. They gave me a nod, and I went in with the maid.

The shrine was dark - there was no electricity there, no lighting. Using my flashlight, we found the entry to be somewhat of a mess. By mess, I mean that there were a lot of empty bottles laying around. I sniffed one, and the distinct smell of alcohol was there.

_The oni must have gotten into Reimu's collection. She's going to be ticked off..._

Shining my flashlight around, it fell on Sakuya as she was peering into one of the rooms. I had noticed a small line of blood that had formed on Sakuya's clothes, under her right arm.

"Sakuya, are you okay?"

She turned to me, her eyes like daggars.

"Damn it Kyon, I told you! I don't want to talk about the whole 'I don't believe in God' thing! I swear! If you bring it up again, I'll stab you!"

_I wasn't going to say that._ Seriously, where the heck did that all come from?

I swallowed hard, and slowly took a breath.

"I...uh...said that because I think you're bleeding."

Sakuya blinked, and her face went red. It seemed like it was half-embarassment and half-anger with herself. She checked her body, and found a small cut on her right arm - she must have gotten nicked by one of the youkai after the fight with Wriggle and Mystia.

"Damn. Didn't even feel that."

I used a barrier to heal her. _Expletive, why do these things taste worse every time I drink one?!_ The taste almost made it not worth being able to heal.

"Thanks." Sakuya said.

We silently searched the rest of the shrine. It appeared that only Suika had been living there for a while, as the theme of empty bottles continued (apparently the notion that oni love to drink is true), and Reimu's room seemed untouched, if a bit disshelved. There was a thin layer of dust over everything. Sakuya ran a finger over a small table.

"Dust...about two weeks worth, which was the last time I saw her. She hasn't been here since that festival."

_I guess a maid knows dust better than anyone else._

I for one didn't like this one bit. Reimu not being there just put me at such an unease.

Not finding the miko, we ended the search in the Haiden, the hall of worship. I noticed that there were no statues of any shinto gods or anything at all. I didn't say anything, because it would have broken that uneasy silence I had with Sakuya. I didn't want to offend her, and I was kind of off-put by her earlier threat.

Call me crazy, but I didn't want to be stabbed. I could do without foreign metal objects entering my body, thank you.

She took a few steps, stopping in the center of the room. Sakuya just stood there, in the empty Haiden. All I could hear was the crackling of the fire outside, some muffled conversation between...I think it was Wriggle and Mystia. The maid and I just shared the quiet hall for about a minute.

WIth her back to me, she spoke.

"The Hakurei shrine has no God. There is no God to be worshipped here."

I remained silent, as she continued.

"Reimu serves no God. I don't know why. Maybe the Hakurei Shrine was designed that way, to serve no God. Serve no one God, but protect the land of the Gods. I don't know." Sakuya turned her head to me. There was a sadness in her eyes. "Either way, I kind of like that about her. I respect that about her."

She closed her eyes, her fists clenching. It was as if she had resigned herself to finally talk about it. "Damn you and Meiling. You two don't know what it's like. Having a belief that you put so much faith in...just having it ripped away from you. Everything you counted on doesn't work. Crosses. Holy Water. Scripture. Everything that could defeat a vampire just...that _had_ defeated vampires...just stopped working. It was heartbreaking. I would have become a broken person if it wasn't for milady." She lowered her head, sighing.

I slowly nodded in response. I had kept quiet, and continued to be quiet. Why not? It was obviously working. Speaking only got a negative response.

"Aren't you going to say something, you little bastard? I finally talked about it." She shot a glare at me. "Now what, huh? Now what?"

Being put on the spot, I had to respond. I gave her a shrug.

"I know it's not the same, but I went around thinking that the world was normal. I had clung to that belief because I had lost my belief in the fantastical. My own hope of a fantasy world was lost to me, so I had it replaced by another, and then that one got shattered as the original one came back. That's the way it was for me. I know that sounds too vague, but you already know what I mean, right?"

Sakuya just silently stared at me, her eyes narrowing.

"I'm not the smartest guy in the world," I said. "Far from it. It's just that you're angry at God, and you're an atheist, right? You hate Him so you don't believe in Him?"

The corner of her mouth curled down, but she nodded.

And then I said the following. I don't know why. Maybe because I wanted to strike back at her for her threat against me, like an idiot.

Yeah, insult the warrior maid who not only is an expert with knives, but can also stop time. That's smart. Even after I mentioned that I didn't want to be stabbed.

"How can you be angry at something and not believe in it? I'm sorry, but it just kind of seems...stupid. Stab me if you want," _Actually, don't! "_But that's the way it seems to me. 'I hate God so I'll get back at Him by not believing in Him?' That not logical. It's just insanity. Especially since you were the one who told me that Gods exist in Gensokyo."

I really wished I had worded that better. Thankfully, Sakuya didn't take me up on my offer to become her personal pincushion. She just stared at me with an unreadable expression on her face. She opened her mouth to say something, but didn't. Then her face went from anger, to sadness, to anger again, to holding back tears, and back to anger.

"You...you...idiot..." She turned her back to me, shaking, and hung her head.

"I'll just...leave you alone for now. Every time I've tried to reach out, you just push back. Okay. I understand you now. You just want to be left alone sometimes. All right."

Saying no more, I left her there. The heat of the summer night was my welcome to the outside again. I let out a big sigh to get rid of the tension that had built up in my chest over what just happened.

_Man, what the hell am I doing? Seriously. Why am I doing stuff like this? I'm not a person who goes around fixing people's problems, so why do I find myself in these situations?_

I didn't like doing such things because they were emotionally taxing for me; they left a heavy burden on the heart, you know?

The summer heat wasn't my only welcome out there. The smell of pork cooking was also my greeting. In automatic response (and I guess in a way to forget what just went on in the shrine) my mouth watered with the prospect of freshly cooked meat. I took a step towards it, then stopped; my body tensed again.

Why? Because I realized that I wasn't alone on the porch. My brain screamed at me that there was someone to my left.

I whipped around, and saw her.

In the darkness of the porch, there was a woman whom I had never seen before, who was staring out at the yard. She wasn't looking directly at anything, just appeared to be lost in thought. She looked to be in her late-thirties: long green hair, green eyes, wearing a blue vest and dress. She had a blue cape, and a some sort of pointy hat sitting next to her, with a yellow sun on it. She was drinking something, looked like a bottle of sake, and didn't notice or didn't care when I approached her.

"Uhm...Hi."

No response from her. She kept staring forward.

_She might know where Reimu is. Longshot, but she might._ And she didn't seem like any kind of threat. It was tough to really read her.

I went through the formalities of telling her my name, and asking for hers. I then asked where Reimu was. For anything I said, I only got silence as a response. She continued to drink.

_Well, that lead nowhere._

A thought crossed my mind. I turned to leave, half-expecting her to finally speak as I did.

"Mima."

_Knew it._ Good to know that some tropes actually work. I turned back, finding that she still stared forward.

"Excuse me?"

"My name is Mima, human."

_Another youkai. Wonder what she is._

Mima took another drink; she was really hammering them down. In fact, her words were a bit slurred. She was getting drunk.

"If you're looking for the Hakurei, she hasn't been here. Hasn't been here for two weeks, ever since she beat down that oni, according to the turtle."

"Yeah, we kind of figured that one out."

"Mmm."

Another quiet moment, as she took another pull.

"If I may ask, Miss Mima, what _are_ you?"

She finally looked at me.

"Does it matter?"

I was taken aback by how blunt she said that. All I could manage was a small unsure shrug.

As for why I'd like to know, it's just that it was something that...that I just _would_ like to know. Despite the dangers Gensokyo presented, it did stir the imagination of those who came in contact with it: me included. There were so many different things in this wonderful place.

And again, as I turned to leave, she responded with one line, before she went back to drinking.

"I used to be the terror of Gensokyo, you know."

She said that rather despondently, and had a bit of a self-pitying look on her face.

"I'm sure you were."

She glared at me, spilling a bit of her drink on her. "You saying you don't fear me, human?"

"No disrespect, but I don't even know who you are."

She didn't say anything else, so I left her. I made my way to Remilia, Nagato, and Asahina. The vampire crossed her arms as I approached.

"Well? Anything?"

I glanced back at the shrine, seeing Sakuya walk out of it.

"We didn't find her. Reimu hasn't been here since some festival - two weeks ago."

"Great." Remilia rolled her eyes. "Well, anyone have any ideas?" She then turned to me.

I don't know why she did, as she was looking at me like I had an idea.

"No clue," I responded, lightly raising my hands. "We don't have the cherry blossoms to follow this time."

The vampire slowly nodded, before nodding at Nagato.

"How about you, Nagato? Think you can detect anything amiss?"

"Shouldn't be too hard."

_Nagato's voice isn't so 'stiff' anymore. It's coming out more and more natural. She really is changing._

Remilia pursed her lips, and then raised an eyebrow.

"You're not acting...normal, Miss Nagato. Not from the way I've seen you act."

"Something is happening to me. Ever since I have arrived in Gensokyo, I've been experiencing some interesting...'quirks' I think is the word."

"Hey, Kyon." That was Alice, "Do you think it has something to do with that Gensokyo effect Yukari talked about?"

"You mean the one where my blood is 'spicy', and giving me this barrier?"

"Yeah."

I scratched my head. "I don't really know, but now that you mention it...that could be it. I mean, Yukari said that Haruhi wanted me to be more than I already am. Obviously that has applied to the other Brigade members, who _were_ more than they appeared to be in the first place."

It hit me as I said it. _Is that it? That so-called Gensokyo effect?_ It had made my barrier have healing properties, which I was grateful for. It had also made me tastier for Remilia's pallete (which I'm _not_ grateful for).

It was the only thing I could think of.

"I don't know about that, but I'll see what I can do about this incident." Nagato went to the top of the staircase at the edge of the shrine's property that overlooked Gensokyo. She took a deep breath, and stared out at the land.

"The hell is she doing?"

That was Wriggle. She was at one of the stalls, a handful of stale rice in her hand. _Ew. Two week old rice._ Then again, she's a bug, so I guess she was used to such things. Mystia was just leaning against said stall, staring at Nagato, a confused look on her face.

Personally, I was still a little uneasy about being near Wriggle and Mystia. After all, they were youkai. Youkai that expressed interest in eating me, no less.

"She's...well, I think she's scanning...or something."

"Or something?" Mystia scratched her head under her cap. "Isn't she your friend? Don't you know what she's doing?"

"I don't know how she does what she does, but she just does it."

As vague as that sounded coming out of my mouth, it was actually true. I myself don't know the intricacies of what goes on when Nagato performs her tasks. I had an idea of it being like a computer or something, but other than that, I couldn't begin to fathom how it was to be Nagato.

Mystia just slowly nodded. "Ooookay then." Mystia drummed her fingers on the stall, before turning her head to me. "Hey, uh, human. Really...sorry about earlier. Like Wriggle said: Girl's gotta eat, you know?"

"I'd just appreciate if it wasn't me."

Mystia smirked, narrowing her eyes.

"Then you shouldn't be out at this time of night on a full moon. It's _our_ night. A delicious looking specimen like yourself would be snatched up right away."

"That did happen to me," I said as I looked over at the bug.

Wriggle still glared at me, however, not offering an apology that wasn't being forced by Remilia.

"So what's going on with a...'Haruhi' or whoever?" Mystia tilted her head. "I've been hearing you guys talk about her. Who is she?"

"It would take too long to explain everything to you so you can understand it."

Mystia raised an eyebrow at me.

I held up my hand, because I sensed I offended her.

"I don't mean that in any bad way. It's just that it's very complicated. Believe me. _Really_ complicated. Even I'm not completely sure of everthing, and I'm in the middle of it all."

I don't know if Mystia really believed me or not, because she appeared to search my eyes for an answer. After a few seconds, she just shrugged, and went back to speaking to Wriggle about something.

I noticed the sheen of sweat on her...and on Wriggle too. _Why are these two sweating so much?_ I took a few seconds to look at everyone. Suika, Remilia, Wriggle, Mystia, and Alice all looked like they were sweating heavily. Meanwhile, Nagato, Sakuya, Asahina, Daiyousei, and myself were just fine. Besides, it wasn't _that_ hot a night.

"Hey."

"Yeah?"

"Are you two all right? You're...sweating."

Mystia rubbed her forehead, and looked into her hand. Her brow furrowed. "Damn. I don't know what's causing that. It isn't _that_ hot. It's been like that for me for a while."

Before we could continue with that, Nagato turned to us.

"It's difficult to detect much here in Gensokyo."

Remilia crossed her arms, scoffing.

"What's so difficult about it? You can do anything, right?"

For a brief second, I saw that Nagato didn't like hearing that. Her lips pursed, before she quickly went back to normal.

"There are some limits to what I can do, Remilia. To put it in a way you can understand, I'm not 'calibrated' to sift through all the magic within Gensokyo. It's hindering me."

Remilia scoffed. "Then what use are you?"

"Whoa whoa whoa!" I blurted out. "Remilia, that's uncalled for!"

_Who do you think you are to talk to Nagato like that?!_ Sad part is, that Remilia reminded me of a Haruhi at the beginning of freshman year right then. But seriously, why would she say something like that?

Arms still crossed, Remilia shook her head with disappointment at Nagato, ignoring me.

Nagato's eyes narrowed a bit, a small glare forming on her face, before she pointed out to the land. "However, I did detect something interesting. Right...there. There is a void of information in that direction."

I moved up to her, looking out.

"A void?"

Nagato gave a single nod. "Each place in Gensokyo seems to have some sort of energy signature, which is interfering with me, except right there. There is _nothing_ there. It's as if it doesn't exist."

I looked to where she pointed. Sure enough, there was...blackness. A black...dome? Under the light of the full moon, one could see pretty much all of Gensokyo from the Hakurei shrine, but there was a space near the shrine that appeared to not exist. That was the best way I could describe it. No light shone on a dome of darkness.

_That's peculiar. I dare say it may look like the outside of a closed space, if I were to actually see such a thing._

"But isn't that the..." I stopped. It was as if there was a void in my mind. I tried hard to fill it, but I couldn't. "...Wasn't there something there?"

At that time, my mind set off all kinds of flags. I realized that there should have been something there, but I couldn't remember what it was.

Remilia stepped up, staring out at it.

"...Yeah, the..." She too trailed off, as if trying to remember something forgotten. We all were.

_Okay, this is freaky._

We then heard bells, signalling it was midnight, I suppose. And it came directly from that "void" that Nagato pointed to.

I saw Remilia's eyes widen. "What in the world..."

Nagato turned her head to the vampire. "If we are looking for something unusual, then I think it's safe to say that we know where to look next."

I couldn't disagree with Nagato. However, investigating that would have to wait - we noticed that a crowd of those lesser youkai were coming up the stairs to the property of the Hakurei Shrine. They slowly climbed the stairs, snarling and growling.

My body tensed as I immediately backed up. _Maybe I am a coward. _I turned my head to Asahina. "Find a safe spot!"

Remilia and Nagato slowly backed up as well, and the youkai got up to the top of the stairs.

And the lesser youkai stayed there. Alice was right. They couldn't get in. One tried to, and ended up burning ashes.

_Now that is one effective defense measure Reimu has._ Something like that would make me sleep better at night. Had to help _her_ sleep better at night.

The thing was, they started to surround the property. They didn't enter, but they just surrounded it. There were so many of them. Their snarling was getting louder and louder. Already Mikuru was already behind me, shaking, and Daiyousei joined her.

Remilia brought out her spear; Sakuya brought out her knives; Alice, her dolls, with Mystia and Nagato joining them. Wriggle just hung back eating stale rice.

The vampire tapped her spear in her hand.

"This night just gets better and better. A mystery going on, Reimu is missing, and I get to kill _so many idiots_ who want to test me."

Before Remilia could even ready to attack, the youkai at the staircase were cut in half, and the rest in that area were blasted by music - a loud combination of a keyboard, a trumpet, and a violin.

_Yes!_ I knew who it had to be. And of course, those four came walking up the stairs. Youmu Konpaku and the three Prismriver sisters. Merlin grinned at us, spinning her trumpet by one finger.

"Hakugyokorou is here! Hold your applause!"

_I wouldn't applaud. A thank you is in order, though._

The rest of the youkai turned towards the ghosts, and began to dash towards them - still not able to cross into the shrine's grounds.

I first thought the ghosts were going to attack, but then Youmu casually sheathed her blade. The Prismrivers didn't even bring up their instruments. _What are they doing?! They'll be torn apart! They'll be-_

And then the lesser youkai dropped dead. All of them. They were running at full speed, then just dropped.

Now, of course, there was only one person who could have done something like this. From behind the ghosts, came Yuyuko Saigyouji, floating up the staircase, smiling.

"Good evening to you all." She tapped her chin, and her eyes widened, as if she realized something. "Actually, it's morning now, isn't it? It's allready past midnight." The ghost went back to her trademark smile. "Then good morning to you all."

"Yeah, good morning. You know, I never thought I'd be so glad to see a ghost who can kill someone with just a thought." I said.

Yuyuko gave me a wider smile as Remilia sagged her shoulders, and holstered her spear. Everyone else put away their weapons as well.

"Really, Miss Yuyuko? You deprive me of my entertainment by stealing my kills?"

"They were threatening my servants, Miss Scarlet. I know you would do the same for yours."

Yuyuko's eyes then fell on Suika, cooking the pig. _Wait, the oni was still cooking during all of that? What the heck? Why didn't she at least make the attempt to assist us?_ Of course I didn't think of Genji or that drunk woman, because they didn't seem to want to have much to do with anything. Anyways, Yuyuko's eyes lit up as she clasped her hands.

"Ah! I knew I smelled something delicious!"

The ghost mistress went towards the fire, while the other ghosts approached us. Youmu nodded at us. I noticed there were a few slash marks on her dress.

"You look like you've seen a battle or two, Youmu."

The gardener gave me a nod.

"Yes. It's been quite the interesting night. While it is good to see you again, it appears we have an inci-" Youmu paused, as she noticed Asahina. "Ah. Excuse me." Youmu did a little bow towards the time traveler. "I am Youmu Konpaku, servant to Lady Yuyuko Saigyouji. And you are Mikuru Asahina, correct?"

* * *

Marisa Kirisame let out a slow breath, watching the youkai fall to the ground.

_Damn idiots. They should know better._

She had set up a few seals around her property a few years back, not as strong as the ones around the Hakurei Shrine, but enough to let her feel safe. The witch counted all the youkai that were down, giving up when it reached somewhere in the thirties.

_Incident. Someone caused an incident._

Heading back into her home for her broom, Marisa couldn't believe her bad luck. First, she had napped longer than she wanted to, making her late to the party at the Scarlet Devil Mansion. She woke up at midnight, cursing at herself as she quickly got dressed. And then when she got outside, she found bodies of knocked out youkai, _way_ more than usual.

_Someone had to go and do this, didn't they? Ruin my night by doing something stupid: getting all those youkai in a hissy fit._

She wasn't obligated to resolve incidents, but she felt that she had to. Reimu hadn't been at the shrine since..._since she beat me._

Marisa had been in a bad mood ever since that day. Zero and four, and Reimu had made it look easy. Not only that, but Reimu got herself an oni "servant". More like a moocher, but she still had a friggin' oni at her home now!

After grabbing her broom and putting on her hat, Marisa went up into the air.

_Okay, without Reimu's intuition, I'll just have to get lucky to solve this incident. Let's see what I can do by myself._ _Yeah...that'll show her._

* * *

Asahina reacted as well as I could hope for meeting a group of actual ghosts. Well, a full ghost, a half-ghost/half-human, and three musical phantom copies. Yeah, it's confusing, so it's just easier to refer to them as simply ghosts. The time traveler was just silent, sitting on the porch of the shrine. Eventually she looked up at me, saying that Gensokyo was a strange place.

Suika was done with her cooking (and thereafter passed out inside the shrine), and Yuyuko happily ate most of it. As she ate, we explained what was going on - youkai attacks, Reimu missing, and that void. Yuyuko just nodded along. Eventually, she sighed.

"Ah, yes. Something peculiar is going on right now." She glanced at her servants. "Normally, I would advise against getting involved with the events of the living...but..." She turned back to us. She became serious, bowing at me. "Seeing as how I still need to make reperations for my actions a few months ago, I will say this: Hakugyokorou will assist you in any way you need. We will stand with you until we resolve this."

_That's actually pretty awesome; the dead helping out, especially someone who can kill with a thought. _As morbid and scary as that sounded. It would also kind of make it even between us, you know, with her trying to kill me off last time and all.

"We appreciate it, but we're actually going to leave Asahina here at the shrine for protection." I looked over the Prismrivers. "Maybe someone can help watch over her?"

Truth is, I couldn't count on a turtle to protect Asahina, nor that drunk woman, who was still there on the porch as well. And Suika had just gone to sleep inside the shrine (more like passed out), so no help there.

Yuyuko nodded. "Of course. Youmu and I will suffice for the excursion. Prismrivers, could you please watch over the Hakurei Shrine and Miss Asahina there?"

Lunasa tipped her hat.

"Not a problem, Lady Yuyuko."

"Look - Daiyousei is safe here, right?" That was Mystia, along with Wriggle. "Is it okay if she stays here too? Also, can we stay here?"

Remilia put her hands on her hips.

"I'm not the one who owns this property, but I don't see why the fairy can't stay. However, you two are coming with us." Before they could protest, Remilia moved quickly, getting the two in a headlock again. The vampire grinned at her captives. "No, no no. The two of you are coming with us. You still need to pay for attacking a servant of mine, so you don't really have a choice."

Both Mystia and Wriggle looked to me. I gave them a shrug; it was the only thing I could do.

"Might as well go with it. That's what I'm doing."

Mystia didn't look angry, just a bit upset. However, Wriggle just _glared_ at me, like it was all my fault. _You got yourself involved, Wriggle, by attacking me. It's only fair._ Of course, I didn't say that aloud. I didn't want her to have any real reason to be hostile to me. I could do without a youkai wanting to kill me, thank you. Remilia released the two, who rubbed their necks.

Yuyuko smiled at us all, as she finished eating. "Ah, that was good. Now..." She turned towards the dark dome. "Shall we get going?"

Before I took a step, I felt a tug on my shirt. It was Asahina. She stared up at me with worry.

"Kyon...be careful."

"It should be fine. We got two ghosts, Alice, a vampire, a vampire hunter, and Nagato." _Seriously, who can stop this group? _"We'll be alright-"

"No. Really. Be careful. Tonight is just..." Mikuru stopped, mid-sentence, like she had a mental shock. Her eyes widened, and then welled with tears. "I'm sorry. I can't. It's classified. Just be careful. This..." She paused, as if she was searching for words. I think she was working on what she _could_ say to me. "This night is too vague. Too new." She then embraced me, shaking. "That's all I can give you. I don't want to see you..." Again, another pause. "I'm sorry. There is too much classified information that I can't tell you. It makes it really difficult for me to speak to you about all of this. I just don't want to see either you or Nagtato end up..." She covered her eyes, tears rolling down her face.

_Seeing her this distraught is really worrying me..._ I'm not going to lie. I could feel a dread build up in my body. Having the ability to know what will happen in the future, she got worried over the night.

* * *

The two teenagers flew in the night sky, stopping when they saw another group of youkai surround three fairies. The boy went down to make an attack run. The girl stayed up in the air for a while, before shaking her head and joining the fight.

It didn't take long for Reimu Hakurei and Itsuki Koizumi to put down the various youkai.

The miko crossed her arms, staring at the esper.

"You know, if we keep on doing this, we'll _never_ resolve this incident."

"With all due respect, Miss Reimu, I'd rather not have the death of fairies on my conscience. They needed help." He turned his head, to watch the three fairies fly off.

Reimu called out to them. "And you're welcome!" The two silently watched as the fairies left them behind, before going back up into the air. "Koizumi, we need to meet up with Yukari outside of the bamboo forest. We can't stop now!"

"I'm sorry, but if it bothers you, then you go on ahead without me. These fairies are creations of Haruhi Suzumiya. I won't allow them to die."

"You keep on saying that. That the fairies are the creations of her, and that _I_ am her creation, even before we told you what was going on."

"I just know. Just arriving here has put memories in my head."

Reimu crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow.

"What, like how you ended up knowing that Haruhi is the creator and all of that?"

Koizumi nodded.

"Exactly like that."

Reimu reeled back a bit, in surprise. "Really? That's what happened?"

Koizumi gave Reimu his trademark smile.

"Yes, Miss Reimu. I know that this is Haruhi Suzumiya's creation. Now, let's get going."

* * *

There was the void. There was no other way to explain it. Just a void. Not even a ground. Just a dark emptiness was there. It felt like we were at the end of the world. Alice went close to it, inspecting it.

"Amazing. Just plain amazing. It's just a big nothing. I've never seen anything like it."

The rest of us were in a kind of awe to what was before us. I mean, who wouldn't be? It was non-existance.

"So, uh..." said Mystia. "So what do we do?"

That was actually a good question. We had left Asahina and Daiyousei at the shrine with its residents and the Prismrivers, and found the void just a ways from the shrine, down an obvious path. Only we found that the path ended, along with the rest of the land. It wasn't like the end of Gensokyo at the border, that was like a closed space where you could see what was outside of it. What was in front of us was just different.

Wriggle had her hands in her pockets, staring at the dome. "I don't like this one bit." She turned to the vampire. "Can we go now? This is obviously nothing. Like, literally."

Remilia looked up at the bug. "No, you're not done until I say you're done." A smile then formed on the vampire's face. "How about we throw you in. You know, to see if it's safe?"

Wriggle's jaw just dropped. And again, Wriggle glared at me. _She can't take her frustrations out on the vampire, so she just transfers that anger to me. Great. Just great._ I hoped that the bug wouldn't do something so drastic as to seek revenge should she snap.

Alice turned her head to us. "Let's not be so hasty. Let's make sure it's safe to touch first." Picking up a stick on the side of the road, the puppeteer slowly pushed it into the dome. It appeared to go in without any resistence. Pulling it back out, and finding that the stick was still intact, she flung it in. We could hear it land on the ground from within.

_I don't know whether to be impressed, or..._

_Wait...what did Alice throw in?_

All of us must have thought the same thought, as we crowded around Alice, who was staring into her hand, confused.

"Didn't I just throw something in? What just happened?"

I distinctly remembered Alice throwing in something, but I couldn't for the life of me remember what it was.

Without saying anything. Nagato went in, disappearing-

"Wait! Nag-..."

...somebody went in, disappearing...

_...who just went in? Where?_

"Wait wait. What just happened?" I scratched my head. "Did someone just go in?"

"Who was it?" Sakuya asked.

"I don't know..."

I searched my memories, as I sensed that someone important to me just went in.

Thankfully Nagato came back out within a matter of seconds, which restored my memories of her. Thank _God_ it wasn't a permament effect. She was also carrying a stick, the stick Alice threw in.

Yes, what I'm implying happened really did happen. I had forgotten about Nagato at that point when she entered, and when she came back out, I remembered her. It was a little overwhelming for me, however. Those memories came flooding back, almost making me lose my footing.

"Nagato! That was..."

She tilted her head, showing a little confusion.

"I _forgot_ you, Nagato. You went in that place and I forgot you."

"Interesting." Was all she could say.

"Interesting? That's frightening!"

"But the..." Nagato paused, and then looked back. She was silent for a few seconds. "_Very_ interesting. I forgot it as well. I entered the place, picked up the stick, and I forgot about what's in there when I came back out. How unique."

_Not the word I'd use. I'd say that it was a horrifying thing. Being able to make people forget._

Nagato turned back to us. "Whatever is in there, it's safe. I made it through all right."

"Look, Nagato, I don't want to forget you." I looked at the rest of the girls. "Nor any of you. If we're going to go in there, we all go in together, all right?"

Alice audibly gulped. _"Should_ we go in?"

_Part of me doesn't want to, either._

"Considering it's our best lead right now, yes." Yuyuko glanced at everyone else. "Unless you have something else in mind. I'm open to suggestions."

Alice merely shook her head.

The nine of us glanced at one another, and slowly approached the void. We got one step away from it, and I timidly moved my hand into it. My _hand_ disappeared, and I _actually_ forgot I had a hand. I know that such a concept doesn't make sense on paper, but it happened to me. I yanked my hand back, staring at it. Thankfully, there wasn't any damage.

_What the hell is this?_ Of course, the only way to find out would be to go inside of the dome. As scared as I was, I was a bit curious myself on finding out what was causing it.

"Man this is scary," remarked Wriggle.

"On three?" Remilia suggested.

A round of acknowledgements (and another protest from the bug youkai), and we were good to go.

One.

Two.

Three.

We all took a step into the void. Again, I had to make sure I didn't topple over by what washed over me.

_Good Lord._

The human village. The memories of it existing came back to me. Everything was as it was when Sakuya, Nagato, and I went there the previous day. I looked back to where we came from, and nothing had changed - there was no void behind us, just the path we took to get there. We were at the entryway to the marketplace, and a few of the lights were on in some of the shops.

_Gensokyo can still surprise me. It can still throw me curveballs. Even Makoto Imaoka would have trouble with such pitching._

"By the Gods!" exclaimed Youmu, who was wide-eyed. "What a defense mechanism. Being able to just hide yourself out of memory and existence."

Remilia just shook her head. "No wonder the Human Village has lasted this long. I've heard of some rogue youkai attempting to wipe out the Human Village on different occasions, but they've all failed." Remilia took a few steps forward, her gaze on the buildings. "But still...how terrifying. Being able to just make someone forget."

An idea popped into my head.

"Hey, Sakuya, think that can kill off a youkai?"

She appeared to mull that over.

"Maybe. If they were in something like this long enough, then maybe."

_So it may not just be for defense then. If youkai run on fear and rememberance, and there is no one to remember them, then wouldn't they just fade away or something? Of course, the same thing could be said about the Gods and faith, according to that conversation I had with Meiling and Sakuya._

Mystia shook a little, rubbing her left arm. "How frightening. I never knew that the village could do this."

Nagato inspected the edge of the dome.

"This dome is almost like a closed space, but without the traditional boundaries. It's very impressive. However, it may not have anything to do with the current incident." She continued to speak as she kept at her inspection. "It could simply be the way this village defends itself."

"Great." Remilia scoffed, quickly losing patience. "So, what now?"

"Well, some of the shops are open," Yuyuko cheerfully said. "How about we get something to eat? I'm a little peckish right now."

I stared at her like she was crazy.

_You just ate most of a boar. Pounds of pork._ "How can you eat so much, Yuyuko?"

She flashed me another one of her smiles. "It's one of the few pleasures one can have after dying, young man. It's pretty much the only one I can afford myself."

My eyes went to Youmu, who just shrugged. She didn't have anything to contribute to the conversation.

I for one, however, wanted to leave. Another thought had crossed my mind. If everything in here was forgotten, then it meant that _I_ was forgotten. Nagato and I would not be remembered by anyone not inside the village.

Which also included Haruhi. _Yeah, as if me not being out there isn't going to cause trouble, her forgetting about me might._ Same thing with my family.

My family.

That actually stung me, emotionally. As of that moment, I was forgotten by everyone I ever knew. Mom, Dad, my sister, my aunt, the rest of my relatives. My classmates, my friends. Everyone. I did not exist in anyone's mind.

I expressed my concerns and thoughts about that to the girls there, and they all seemed to agree that it would be better for us to get out of there.

By then, a few of the residents and shopkeepers were watching us from the windows. Some just outright closed them up when they saw us. Alice, who had taken more steps into the market place to look around, turned back to us.

"I can't disagree with that. Let's go."

"Who are you? Trying to attack the village so late at night."

That was a voice from one of the alleyways. It was a woman's. From the direction of the voice, I saw the outline of a woman in the shadows.

_Attack? At most, Yuyuko wants a midnight snack._ Also, I had a feeling of what was going to happen. We were going to get kicked out of the village.

"It's quite rare that youkai would directly attack this village. Is it due to that corrupted moon? Everything has been messed up since it appeared."

And out she stepped: a woman, mid-thirties. Brown eyes, long silver hair, dark blue dress with short white sleeves. And wearing a weird square blue hat that had a red ribbon on top. I won't even try to describe that hat, because it was so unusual.

Again, another beautiful woman. Japanese, at that.

And yes, thumbs up.

"Keine."

That was Remilia. I looked over at her.

"Hmm?"

"Keine Kamishirasawa." Remilia took a step forward, hands on her hips. "The school teacher, and the primary guardian of the human village."

_School teacher? This gorgeous woman is the school teacher?_ Double thumbs up. But the primary guardian? Interesting job she has: educate and protect.

Nagato tugged on my shirt sleeve. I looked down to her.

"What is it?"

"The unusual properties that surround the human village are exuding from her." Nagato pointed at Keine. "She's doing it. She's making the dome."

I stared a the school teacher in disbelief. But why do I keep getting surprised over abilities? Most everyone in here has something special about them. _I need to stop being so surprised by everything._

Keine took steps into the "street" we were on, stopping in the middle like a sheriff in a western movie, ready to duel with the bad guy at high noon. She spoke as she did as such.

"Miss Scarlet. I thought I met with you. You know that youkai are welcome in the village as long as they don't start up any trouble, and only visit the marketplace. However, coming on a full moon is against the rules."

"Only because this is when we achieve maximum power. You wouldn't be able to handle us on such a night." Remilia glanced back at the edge of the village. "Quite the nifty parlor trick you got, making the youkai forget the village even exists. I'm impressed."

Keine narrowed her eyes at the vampire.

"Its necessary, against things like _you_."

_We need to get out of here. The way things are going, we'll only get into a fight at this rate._

Wriggle raised up her hands. "Hey, we're leaving. We're leaving. No need to do anything to us, right?"

"Sensei?"

That was Alice, who was closest to Keine. The schoolteacher's eyes fell on the puppeteer, and they saddened.

"Ah...Alice." Keine sighed. "It always hurts me to see you this way. To give up your humanity like that. You were my brightest student. You had a future."

I saw Alice lower her head, but then she brought it back up.

"Funny you should say that, sensei...especially now that I can sense things better. Because...you never told me."

"Hmm?"

"You never told me that you were one of _us._"

_What?_

"You sense it too, Alice?" Yuyuko cheerfully said. "Not bad."

I guess Youmu was as confused as I was, as she said: "Lady Yuyuko...sense what?

Remilia spoke up, nodding at the school teacher. "Youmu, Keine hasn't aged much since I got here in Gensokyo."

_Wait...that means..._

As if to answer us, Keine went up into the air.

I think the action startled Youmu, because she put her hand on her katana. It had to be a reflex. To tell the truth, it startled me as well. I don't know how I managed to stutter out what I said, but I did.

_"The defender of the human village is a youkai?!_"

Another curveball. I'd have struck out ten times over by the events of that night alone. But for the human village to have a youkai guardian? That just blew my mind. A village initially set up to rid the area of youkai ends up with one of them guarding it. _Wow._ I really don't know what to say about that. It's ironic, yes, but still..._wow._

"No. Not youkai. She's different." Remilia was looking at Keine with blatant disdain. "She's a filthy half-breed. Half-youkai. To be more specific, a dirty were-beast. And you know how I feel about were-beasts."

_I think it's safe to say that Remilia is a bigot when it comes to were-beasts._ That's kind of a big thing, though, to find her hatred out like that. She didn't even make it a big deal.

Remilia paused, and then glanced at Youmu with a sly smile.

"No offense, Konpaku. On the 'filthy half-breed' thing."

Youmu, in her metaphorical samurai mask, unemotionally stared at the vampire for a few seconds, arms crossed.

"None taken."

I think Youmu did take offense to it, because Myon then went and bopped Remilia in the face. The vampire glared at the ghost half of Youmu. Myon bounced around in the air for a few seconds, circling Remilia, as if taunting her, before returning to Youmu. Youmu just stood there, showing no expression, until a small corner of her mouth upturned for a smile. I smiled as well.

Maybe there was something to the thought of Myon being a very emotional side of Youmu.

_But for the defender of the village to be a were-beast? But the moon is full right...oh wait, that's right. The moon is fake._ You see, I had forgotten about what Nagato said earlier, about the moon being made out of papier mache. I had forgotten about it, because the attack happened right after she said that. So, yeah. It wasn't a high priority in my mind, you know? You could be told about something astonishing, but if something even more captivating happens before you, it can be forgotten.

Remilia, still glaring at Youmu, said the following:

"Alice, be a dear and defeat Keine."

Alice's eyes widened for a bit, her grip on her grimoire tightening.

"Uhm, excuse me? Look, we aren't here to harass or attack this place. There is no need for hostilities-"

A laser shot near us, obviously from Keine's direction. It made me jump back, to tell the truth. Jump back as I let slip an expletive. _The_ expletive. Anyways, the school teacher was still up in the air, staring at us.

"I already told you. You aren't welcome tonight. Please leave."

The laser was closest to Alice, who had her eyes on the burn mark on the ground, biting into her lower lip. Shanghai, in some sort of reaction to the attack, had gotten out a small, doll-sized shield from Alice's backpack, and was staring right at Keine.

"Sensei..." Alice said. "Was that necessary?"

"I already told you. You have to leave."

Alice slowly nodded, here eyes still on the ground.

"Me."

"Yes."

"Just because I am what I am now, I'm no longer welcome at certain times."

"Yes."

The puppeteer slowly nodded, and was silent for a few seconds. Her shoulders sagged for a while, before the girl took a deep breath. Alice's free hand balled up into a fist as she turned to the vampire.

"I'm not doing this for you, Miss Scarlet."

Alice then went up into the air, glaring at Keine.

_Great. We're getting into another fight._ _This is just the norm in Gensokyo, isn't it?_

"You're going to have to _force_ me to leave, Sensei. I made a mistake by becoming what I am. Don't punish me for it."

Keine whipped out a spell card. "You know the rules, Alice. No youkai during the full moon. And now I have to enforce this rule."

As they were speaking above the marketplace, I moved to position a stall between them and myself. I did not want to get hit by any stray danmaku.

Keine was the first to attack.

[SPELL CARD: SPIRITUAL BIRTH "FIRST PYRAMID"]

This spell card was very symmetrical. There were six glowing balls of danmaku that circled Keine - three clockwise, three counter-clockwise, and they shot inwards at her. Not directly at her, but they left a safe zone for her to be in. Meanwhile, the danmaku that had circled from behind her was shooting forward, towards Alice. Keine also shot three large pillars of danmaku circles every now and then. It was a hectic spell card.

The puppeteer appeared to study the pattern for a few seconds, before really doing anything. She had that same look of when she studied Marisa's spell card during that endless winter. Alice was then using her dolls (mostly Shanghai) to shoot lasers as well. _So Shanghai is not just a servant. She's a means of defense._ Keine, of course, dodged them too.

Already, a few of the citizens of the village had come out to the street to watch their defender take on a youkai. They kept their distance from our group, however. I don't blame them. Keine looked at them and told them to take cover, as she activated another spell card, finding that her first one wasn't getting the job done.

[SPELL CARD: ORIGIN SIGN "EPHEMERALITY 137"]

This was...actually quite intense. Keine just _threw_ a few balls of danmaku. Not at Alice, but against one of the walls of the buildings. The magical shots shattered on impact, splitting and ricocheting towards Alice. Keine did this twice - once to the left, and once to the right. And then she did a random-shooter. Keine repeated that. Left, right, random. Left, right, random. Pattern seemed simple, but the spell card was anything but. Also, if I remember correctly, "137" had something to do with Japan's first emperor, Emperor Jinmu.

Keine played handball danmaku for a while, trying to get Alice caught in it. The puppeteer moved up, closer to Keine, spell card in hand.

[SPELL CARD: WAR SIGN "LITTLE LEGION"]

Alice used this spell card, and six dolls quickly climbed out of Alice's backpack. Armed with lances, swords, and other weapons, the dolls, in a circle, were swiping their weapons. They weren't going for Keine, but just swiping around them. Alice moved her free hand, using the strings to direct her dolls' general location. The puppeteer was trying to get Keine caught in the attack. The school teacher moved, quickly, to get away from it. It seemed that the spinning attack had some momentum to it, and Alice struggled to try to hit Keine with the dolls. Keine did manage to fry one of the dolls with a laser, and it fell to the ground, broken and burned.

The school teacher brought out another spell card.

[SPELL CARD: AMBITION SIGN "MASAKADO CRISIS"]

Again, like with the First Pyramid, there were six balls spewing and rotating. But this time, they were at Keine's sides. Three on the left, three on the right. And there was another set, this time of four, in front of Keine, adding to the chaos.

Alice was actually able to destroy the balls in front of Keine, and it made it a lot easier for the puppeteer.

_Masakado? The samurai who plotted treason in the 10th century? This teacher is using a lot of historical references for the naming of her cards._ Meiling was right. The spell cards are meaningful, and speak the heart of the user.

Alice kept moving, using Shanghai's shield to protect herself. I'd say it was an unfair advantage, but considering that _I_ give people shields, I can't say anything.

Keine must have gotten desperate - she whipped out a Lunatic Card.

"Alice!" I shouted.

"Yeah, I see it!"

[SPELL CARD: LAND SCHEME "THREE SACRED TREASURES - COUNTRY"]

As soon as Keine called that one out, it appeared that a light bulb went off in Alice's head. She quickly moved as the attack came, and what an attack. It was the definition of chaos - danmaku going everywhere. Keine would go to a location, make a motion with her hands, and a vortex of danmaku appeared, just firing almost everywhere. She continued this pattern for a while.

But Alice didn't move to avoid it. She waited for the spell card to start, let it go for a few seconds, then moved towards Keine, and ended up behind her. Remember that I said the vortex fired _almost everywhere_, because it didn't appear to work behind Keine - it left a lot of openings back there.

The spell card was useless against those who got behind Keine. It was a lunatic card with a massive flaw.

What happened next happened quickly, as Alice took full advantage of the situation.

"I've seen you use this card before, sensei!"

Alice brought out a spell card, as Keine helplessly looked back. Keine appeared to try cancel the spell card. She knew she was in trouble.

[SPELL CARD: CURSE SIGN "SHANGHAI DOLL"]

Shanghai moved before Alice, and a spark appeared in front of the doll, which in turn became some sort of a mini-Master Spark. It hit its target, who didn't get out of the way in time. Keine went down, landing on her feet, but breaking through one of the stalls in the marketplace. Well, not really a stall. More of a kiosk, for umbrellas and parasols, which scattered everywhere. _Who leaves their products in the stands overnight?! _The teacher shook, grit her teeth, fists clenched, as she obviously was fighting to stay standing. Her whole body shook. She groaned through her clenched jaw, her face reddening.

"No..." she gasped. "...no...I won't...go down that easy..."

Keine then took a deep breath, and slowly went back up into the air.

_Damn. She just took a blast of danmaku, and can still go. Tough like Youmu._ I knew this from experience, after all. Getting hit squarely by Danmaku _hurt_, and kept you on the ground. For people like Youmu or Keine to stay standing meant that they were exceptionally tough.

I'll admit that girls are tougher than me. Granted, they have abilities far above my own, so that doesn't sound as bad as it initially does. They're super human (or not even human at all) magical girls.

"Sensei," Alice said as the school teacher reached her level. Alice looked a bit sad. "Sensei...please. Don't make me do this."

Keine must have been _angry_, because she stuck with Lunatic cards. She used one, not responding to Alice.

[SPELL CARD: PSEUDO-HISTORY "LEGEND OF GENSOKYO"]

There was no safe spot for this one. Keine...well, it's hard for me to describe this one, mostly because I myself had to take full cover behind a stall, not wanting to afford a peek. It was _that_ bad. Lasers and spread shots just went _everywhere._ From what Nagato would later tell me, it started off like the Masakado Crisis (with the balls that shot stuff out), but instead of the balls shooting danmaku, they shot lasers everywhere, with Keine throwing a massive amount of spread shots.

I had noticed some heavy breathing. It was Wriggle, Mystia, and Remilia. They were sweating like crazy, too. The bug youkai was doubled over. She turned her head to me, her eyes looking a bit...crazed.

"Hey...you girls all right? Is everything ok-"

Wriggle pounced on me, snarling. She was pushing to have her mouth come down right on my face, I guess to bite it off, and I fruitlessly struggled to push her off, until Nagato flung the bug off of me. Wriggle crashed through a storefront.

_"Milady! What are you doing?! What's gotten into you?!"_

Sakuya was fending off Remilia, who was trying to bite her neck. Mystia was doing the same to Youmu. The gardener slammed Mystia into a stand, and then went to help Sakuya.

_What the hell?!_ There was no provocation. Nothing to get them to attack us like this. It just happened.

I heard Wriggle start to move from the storefront. From inside, she held her head, grimacing. Nagato moved to get between me and the bug, and then stopped. I noticed that Wriggle no longer had the crazed look in her eyes. She stared at me, confused.

"What did I just do?"

"What did you just do? You attacked me!"

"I know, but...what..." she stuttered, showing bewilderment. She appeared dazed. "I didn't...I mean..." She slowly got up, and out of the store. "I just...I wasn't in control. I just attacked you-" She stepped out into the moonlight. She shuddered, and that crazed look came back in her eyes. She bore her teeth at me, snarling again.

It was as if a haze lifted from my mind. It hit me - what had to be going on. It hit me. I quickly looked at Nagato, who had also turned to me. Then our gaze went up to the moon. It was as if we both knew what was going on.

The moonlight. It was making the youkai crazed.

It made sense, in my mind. That werewolf-thing that pounced on me in the SDM's entryway was quite wild, until it had spent some time inside, away from the moonlight. Then it actually spoke, able to carry out a conversation with us.

_Jeez. So that's what's happening. That's why youkai are attacking._ This was indeed an incident. A real pressing matter.

What was more pressing was the fact that Wriggle was already in the air, going after me. Thankfully, Nagato sped forward, grabbed the youkai by the ankle, and slammed her into the shade one of the stalls afforded. The youkai struggled, growling, for a few seconds. Nagato just held her down. Then the crazed look faded away. Wriggle stared up at us, bewildered.

"I...I...what's going on?" She had fear in her eyes. "What's _wrong_ with me?"

Nagato let go of Wriggle, telling her to stay put. The data interface then went to help out with a feral Remilia. Mystia was watching us from the shade from the stall she was put in by Youmu. The bird youkai also had fear on her face.

"That's it, isn't it? That's why youkai are attacking. It's the moonlight." Mystia looked up to the sky, unable to see the moon. "My God. That's the reason."

[SPELL CARD: FUTURE "GOD'S REALM"]

During all of this, Keine used another spell card. Just like the last card - the Masakado balls with lasers. _Much more_ lasers. And there appeared to be a "beat" to it, like a second's hand on a wristwatch. There was a some sort of pattern to the lasers, moving about, and they existed for a second before moving. It was actually nice to look at.

And I would have appreciated it, if I didn't notice that Alice was breathing heavily as well, sweat just beading on her skin.

[SPELL CARD: WAR COMMAND "DOLL'S WAR"]

"I'm sorry."

I actually heard Alice say that as she used that card. I wondered why, until I saw the reason. The card itself was an upgraded Little Legion, with twelve dolls instead of six. She had brought a battalion of dolls to protect herself. The dolls were getting wasted by the lasers, but they were protecting Alice, acting as bullet sponges.

_That had to be a tough decision for the puppeteer. She made each and every one of those dolls by hand._ _But Alice is going to turn feral. She's going to straight up attack and kill Keine, or some other human around here._

I couldn't let that happen. I didn't want to see Alice like that. I looked around, trying to think of something, when I noticed the broken kiosk. _The umbrellas!_ I ran to it, picking up four. I then made my way near Alice.

"Alice!"

She looked down to me, already her eyes going a bit wild. I actually saw fangs in her mouth.

_Oh good Lord._ Again, seeing these girls as humans kind of dulls you to what they really were, especially Alice. Save for her multi-colored eyes, she looked like an ordinary girl. Yet...she wasn't human.

Then again, I'm used to such a thing.

"Kyon...what's...what's happening to me?"

I shouted at her as I tossed up an umbrella.

"It's the moonlight! It's turning you youkai wild! You need to stay out of the light!"

Alice reached out to the umbrella, missing, but Shanghai grabbed it. The doll went above Alice, opening up the umbrella, giving the puppeteer the shade she needed.

Within seconds Alice seemed to calm down - her breathing went back to normal, as did her eyes. She didn't have time to thank me, as Keine kept up her laser attack. I turned to the rest of my group, finding Remilia being held down by Nagato and Youmu in the shade of one of the buildings, blubbering about being "sorry".

Remilia had blood all over her face, and her dress.

_What in the world..._

"_Kyon!"_ Shouted Yuyuko, sounding terrified. "_Get over here!"_

I saw why she shouted that. Sakuya was holding onto her neck, bleeding everywhere.

In the vampire's crazed state, Remilia had ripped open Sakuya's throat.

For a split second, my body froze when I saw the puddle of blood already under her. Then I snapped out of it, running for the maid, downing another vial. I didn't even notice the taste of that one.

_No no no! Sakuya! Not like this!_

Thankfully, I did reach her. Sakuya's eyes were closed, tears streaming down, jaw clenched. As she healed up, she looked at me.

"Kyon...Milady just..."

"It's the moonlight." I turned to Remilia. "The moonlight made you do that. The youkai attacking the mansion, the shrine, us. It's like it's turning you guys feral."

Remilia's eyes, filled with guilt, had turned to rage in response. She stared up at the sky, her eyes just burning with hatred. She shrieked up at the night sky.

"_Whoever did this to me and made me attack Sakuya is dead! Deeeeaaaad!"_

Nagato stared up at the moon directly, studying it, as I quickly passed around the umbrellas I had to the affected youkai. I watched Alice and Keine still duke it out, until Nagato spoke.

"I hadn't noticed it."

"What is it?"

"The moonlight. There is some hidden coding in the light itself." She paused, as if searching for the words to use. "Think of it akin to a trojan virus; a malicious code hidden within something else. A file, a program, anything. If you don't know where to look, or how to look for it, you won't find it, and the malicious code will perform its action, with you none the wiser. All I can say right now is that as time goes on, the code appears to be getting stronger."

"So somebody _is_ causing all the chaos here."

Nagato gave me a single nod.

"And whatever this code does," I turned to Mystia, who was out of her stall with the umbrella. "Whatever it does, it wears off when they are not in the light."

Another nod. _I have to say, I'm understanding and figuring this out pretty quickly._ Then again, I had seen how it worked first hand. Wriggle in the light made her go crazy, and out of the light, she went back to normal...as normal as a bug youkai can be, I suppose.

I bit into my lower lip, because I had to ask the next question. I almost didn't want to. But I just _had_ to, especially since she said that there was _coding_ in the light.

"Nagato...this coding isn't from the Integrated Data Society, is it?"

She shook her head.

"Looks to be Sky Canopy Domain."

Already Remilia was breaking stalls in a rage, screaming obscenities. Kind of tough to do while holding an open umbrella up, mind you. Sakuya went up to her, grabbing both of the vampire's shoulders.

"Milady! Please calm down!"

Upon looking at Sakuya's face, Remilia started to cry again.

"Sa...Sakuya...I almost killed you..."

"But I'm fine now. You aren't to blame. You know I won't hold it against you, milady. I will always stand by your side."

Remilia's face scrunched up, and then she embraced her maid. I could hear her muffled sobbing. Sakuya patted her mistress' head.

_Good thing Sakuya is okay. But...in a way, I feel sorry for whoever is behind this. Remilia is going to gut them like a fish. I thought the way she dealt with that werewolf-thing was bad...she's going to go ballistic on the person responsible. Flan is getting another playmate._

Yuyuko and Youmu had joined me and Nagato. The ghost mistress stared at the moon for a few seconds.

"So what now?"

"What now?"

That was Remilia. She wiped her eyes as she joined us. "I'll tell you what now." Remilia motioned to Nagato. "She said that this thing gets stronger as time goes on, right? The light makes us go crazy as time goes on?"

Another nod from Nagato. Remilia then snapped her fingers.

"Sakuya. Stop the time of the night."

"Yes, Milady."

_She can do that?!_

I'm guessing she could, because in response, Sakuya brought out her pocket watch. She opened it up, and appeared to aim it directly at the moon itself. Sakuya pressed one of the buttons, or pins, on the watch.

What happened next was kind of unusual, even for me. A wave of grayness emitted from her watch, washing over everything, before shooting up to the moon in the sky. The color returned to our world, save for the moon. The moon was just gray.

Sakuya had stopped the night. Even now I still don't know what to say about that.

The interface blinked, her eyes a bit wide. "That was unique." She then returned her gaze to the moon. After a few seconds, Nagato nodded. "That did it. It halted the coding. It should not get stronger as long as Sakuya holds it."

I raised an eyebrow at the maid.

"You can do that? You can control time for things?

She slowly nodded. Her face appeared to be a bit strained, and she carefully breathed in and out. She struggled to smile at me.

"Yeah...but...it's like...tensing a muscle. It...just takes up...quite a bit of...my power..."

She was struggling to even say that. _Interesting. I knew she could stop time, but to control time for something else? Sakuya's more powerful than even I imagined._ Another thought struck me. _And yet she's still a servant. She still loses battles._ _Gensokyo has to be full of __really__ powerful people._ Sakuya gave Remilia a small smile.

"I...won't be...as useful from...here on out...my power...is being used up to...do this..."

Remilia nodded. "It's okay. I won't ask you to kill yourself over this."

A stray laser almost hit us, getting me to whip around. Keine and Alice were still fighting.

_Oh right. There's a battle going on._ _Wow did we get sidetracked here._

Then again, a friend of yours getting their throat torn open does take precedent. As morbid as that sounds.

Shanghai was still above Alice, holding the umbrella. One of her sleeves was burned off from the lasers, and various burns were on her dress. Keine was in worse shape, with a good quarter of her dress just gone, and her skin red at several places, due to grazes, I assume.

Keine was breathing heavily, her eyes went to the crowd of villagers that had gathered to witness the fight, and to witness what was going on with our group. People watching from the window, from the alleys, and doorways. Watching their defender take on a single youkai, and having trouble doing so.

Keine, however, wasn't sweating. Looking over at Youmu and Yuyuko, I found that they were lacking perspiration as well, so I guessed that the light didn't affect all youkai. _I guess ghosts and half-youkai aren't affected?_

For a brief second, I wondered why Keine was doing this, until I noticed her glancing at all the citizens that had gathered. Keine's face was red, and not from being fatigued. I understood what was going on. Keine didn't want to lose the faith her village put in her. Otherwise, I think she would have accepted defeat when Alice hit her with the Shanghai blast. Keine did not want to lose to a youkai in front of the village.

I understood, because Keine went full power.

That's right. She brought out a Taboo card.

_Time to take cover again._

[SpElL cArD: "eMpErOr Of ThE eAsT"]

_Holy Hell_ where do I even begin with this one. Just watching Keine perform it scared me to no end.

In a second, Keine had done a counter-clockwise spin in the air, and thin, transparent blue lines appeared. She then did a clockwise spin in another second, leaving thin, transparent red lines. As soon as she was done, in half a second the blue lines filled to become lasers, and as soon as that half second was done, the same went for the red lasers. And these were very tight lines. Alice had to turn her body to even avoid getting fried - her clothes getting singed. There was barely enough room for her to fit. Meanwhile, Shanghai was also doing amazingly well; being able to hold the parasol over Alice's head and not get hit itself. The lasers disappeared as quickly as they came.

And then the Masakado came back, but in Danmaku form. So, not only did Alice have to contend with the insanity of the laser show, but also the Masakado pattern again, and the time for the lasers to fill out went by quicker and quicker as it went on.

_This has got to be the nastiest spell card I have ever seen, and I hope ever __will__ see._

Keine, however, looked just plain exhausted. She was breathing heavily, her shoulders moving up and down as she fought to get oxygen into her body. The blast from earlier had to have affected her, but she still fought through.

"As expected from the defender," remarked Remilia. "Stays up until the bitter end."

[SPELL CARD: MAGIPULATION "RETURN INANIMATENESS"]

Alice brought out a single doll, putting the spell card inside of its clothing. During a brief period of time that the lasers let up, Alice did a wind-up like a major league pitcher does, then threw the doll directly at Keine. _Wow. Alice has got quite the arm. That was a direct hit._ No curve at all, either - just a straight fastball. The doll exploded when it made contact with its target. Alice simply used a doll like a grenade. A danmaku grenade, thankfully. It didn't kill Keine.

_Barring all of the interruptions, that was such a good battle. There really should be an anime of this. Someone needs to make something like this. I'd watch the hell out of it._ I for one never really was into the Magical Girl genre, although there were a good ones I enjoyed as a kid. But I would watch something like this.

The defender of the human village didn't even let out a sound as she fell out of the sky. We did hear various gasps from the residents around us, as they watched Keine fall. She crashed through an empty kiosk, shattering it. But I guess she got lucky, as it broke her fall.

Alice landed near the school teacher, as the rest of the dolls crawled out of the backpack. At first, I didn't know what they were doing, until they started to pick up the pieces of their fallen comrades. They were cleaning up the remains of the dolls. And yes, Alice was the one controlling them; I could see her fingers move. It didn't take long for her to salvage the pieces, getting her dolls to return them to the backpack.

"Sensei, I'll have you know that I took no pleasure in doing such a thing. I am not your enemy."

Keine was still on the ground, breathing heavily, staring up at the sky.

"I had a feeling something bad was approaching. Seems I was right to seal the village. If...if it was a full moon tonight...I'd be able to rip you all apart...You don't know what you've done, Alice."

"We have a problem. A really _big_ problem."

That was Nagato, out of nowhere. We all looked to her, to find her staring to the edge of the dome. She was backing away from it. As were the others who were near it. I did as well.

You see, bringing Keine down appeared to have a negative consequence. That forgetting mechanism or whatever it was wasn't there anymore. The dome was off, and that wasn't the worst part.

I think you know where I'm going with this. But what you don't know is how many lesser youkai there were. I gave up counting somewhere around fifty, even though there had to be way more than fifty. Their snarling just kept getting louder. The light of the moon was effecting them, badly. And I wanted to get away from all of this.

Youmu, hands on her katanas, looked to her master.

"Lady Yuyuko?"

Yuyuko narrowed her eyes at the advancing youkai. A few crimson butterflies were beginning to circle the ghost mistress. She looked back to Keine, and the humans. "It was not our intention to bring harm to you." Yuyuko turned back to the army of youkai that had gathered. "Youmu, we will defend this village. You may kill." Yuyuko then looked to the rest of us. "Will any of you assist?"

Nagato was the first to nod. And surprisingly, Remilia did as well. Sakuya, Alice...and even Mystia? Wriggle didn't respond.

I nodded as well.

Considering that I could be a target as well, I had to. I would need to defend myself.

Remilia, of course, smiled. Until she apparently realized that it would be difficult for her to fight with a parasol open, and above her. I heard her utter a curse under her breath, and she stared at the youkai that had begun to advance. Already, the citizens who had gathered to see the fight between Keine and Alice were screaming, running deeper into the village. I heard the slamming of doors, windows, and all of that. And that was just for this entrance of the village. The scene must have been the same for all the others.

I realized it. People were going to die. I assessed the situation. _The youkai, save for Yuyuko and Youmu, are rather limited in their mobility, unless they want to join the mindless lesser youkai. So, Remilia, Alice, Mystia, and Wriggle aren't going to be of much use in that regard, except for long range attacks. Youmu, of course, might handle things with her katanas. Yuyuko, well, she'll kick butt in this situation. Sakuya is really hindered right now while using her power. Nagato? Yeah, she can handle herself. Me? Not really. All I can do is toss a few of those vials and hope to knock some of those things out._

And that was just for the marketplace entrance. Again, the other ways into the village had to have youkai coming in.

Already some of the youkai had begun to drop, I'm assuming thanks to Yuyuko, but as they did, more poured in. Youmu rushed forward, katanas in hand, slicing up the ones that didn't drop. She then ran up a building, taking down the youkai that were up there. Remilia was throwing her spear, finding her mark every time. Nagato...I don't know exactly what Nagato was doing, but she appeared to be vaporizing the youkai.

I would put down what the others were doing (I think Mystia had begun to sing again, to confuse and blind the youkai), but I saw a peculiar thing. A red dot up in the sky. Just a red light. It was very familiar to me, for some reason. The red dot came closer and closer, and I could see a figure within the light. Male. A smiling male in a North High uniform.

_Oh my God. Koizumi?!_

And he wasn't alone. Reimu Hakurei was with him. The beautiful miko.

[SPELL CARD: DREAM SIGN "EVIL SEALING CIRCLE"]

Reimu used her barrier spell card as she got over to where most of the youkai were, and the red barrier just knocked out all of them. I couldn't help but notice that the barrier was a lot bigger than I remembered, and it appeared to be more powerful.

Same thing went for Koizumi. Using the red aura around him, he began to just zip around, flying into the other youkai, and tossing red balls of energy at the ones out of his reach.

These two made the difference. They were just _wasting_ the youkai.

Reimu turned to me, shouting. "Kyon! Heal up Keine! She needs to be up for her defense to work!"

I stared up at her, dumbfounded, before I ran to the school teacher.

_Of course! Why didn't I think of that before?! She's down, so the logical thing to do would be to help her get that defense up!_ _Damn. I'm an idiot._

I accepted the bad taste of the next vial as punishment for my stupidity.

* * *

The darkness gave way to blurriness. Reisen tried to rub her eyes, but couldn't. Her eyes took a few minutes to focus, drifting back into darkness every now and then.

_...what's going on...?_

Reisen tried to think. _Got to the...entryway...books...made my way out...unable...got..._'

_I got caught._

Reisen's vision corrected itself. She found herself outside, just standing there. The soldier tried to move, but she couldn't. Not even a muscle. The girl with the black hair was staring up at the fake moon Eintei created. Reisen tried to move again, tried to attack, but there was nothing.

_Can't...get her..._

Reisen tried not to give in to hatred, but she felt a lot of rage upon seeing that girl again. She _wanted_ to hurt her. The girl turned to Reisen, her face as unemotional as ever.

"We have a problem, it seems."

Reisen felt her head tilt up.

_She's controlling my body?!_

Dread shot through the soldier's body, but then confusion. The fake moon she and Tewi made was gray. Then she felt her head go back to see the girl. The girl had some object in her hand, and put it into Reisen's hands.

"They're interfering. They'll be coming soon. Kill them all before they reach here." The girl paused, as if thinking something. "Actually..." The girl smiled at Reisen. "Make sure you kill the boy first. A single bullet between the eyes. He's been detrimental to my plans for far too long. I'm done dealing with him. He always finds a way to ruin everything."

_Wait wait what?! You want me to kill a kid?!_

Reisen felt her body take the object, and then turn, going into the bamboo forest.

The soldier then realized that she had been given a sniper rifle.

* * *

-entities encountered-

-Genji, Turtle Youkai

-Mima, Ghost

-Keine Kamishirasawa, Were-Beast (Unknown type)

-Reimu Hakurei, Human

-Various Humans

-Various Youkai

-Batttle data recorded and sent.

-Gensokyo is under attack. Data signatures indicate the Sky Canopy Domains influence.

**-**Requesting assistance.

**"Incident One" (unofficial name)**

**- Summer, 1998. After the Hakurei clan was wiped out by a group of renegade youkai, the sole survivor, Reimu Hakurei, was left to defend herself. She could not fly, her amulets did nothing, and she had not yet invented Danmaku. All she had to defend herself with were the Hakurei Yin-Yang orbs, which she was able to use to defeat the youkai. Taking them all by herself, she pushed them all the way back to their source - she ventured into the spirit world Makai and ended the threat. This was also the first incident where Mima and Reimu Hakurei fought, though Mima did not instigate it.**

**- Reportedly Yukari Yakumo herself was about to deal with the youkai who caused the deaths of the Hakurei clan, but she saw Reimu Hakurei accomplish it - at ten years old. Yukari Yakumo was pleased with the potential of the young miko.**

**=RESOLVED=**

**-File catalogued by: Emiri Kimidori**

-[ADMIN 612:] You are on your own. Your actions and insubordination will be noted, and you will face punishment for them.

-Response: Very well. This individual entity will resolve this incident, along with the beings encountered within Gensokyo.

-Additional note: No assistance, no data for the Overmind regarding my detected "Unknown Status". Deal with it.

-[ADMIN 612:] You are in no position to make demands.

-Repeat: Deal with it.

-N. Yuki

-end entry-

-logoff-

* * *

**Incoming long thing-whatever.**

**I sit here sometimes and wonder if I should have just stopped with ICB. I keep worrying that I'll end up disappointing everyone. This isn't some book that I can just do, send to an editor, and send it out to the public without regard. This is a work in progress. You guys are responding. I am hearing your feedback, and I do appreciate it.**

**Ultimately, what does it matter in the long run? For all of us on here? Reality is, we are some fans of certain works of fiction that sit down, and think we have what it takes to take other people's work and apply our own stories.**

**But what is it we do? Thousands of words put into a story so that _maybe_ someone may chance on all of this and read it. Sometimes, well, most of the time, the stories are just thrown together by people who _think_ they are writers. I remember reading a Halo fanfic that was just a few paragraphs long, where a black hole occurred, Master Chief was called in, he threw a grenade in it, and stopped it. And then he was labeled a hero. That was the fanfic. To be blunt, reading it hurt me, to think that someone could actually try to pass that off as a story. But...the kid still wrote it. Wrote it because they loved Halo. Yet...if I remember correctly, a lot of people blasted their story.**

**I'm not saying I'm a great writer who is judging another's work. I'm not the best. Ask my beta readers - I make a lot of mistakes, and they slap me upside the head to get me to get it right. Well, not exactly, but you get the idea. **

**But what am I doing? At the end of the day, what am I doing? Writing a story where two japanese series come together in a crossover. Spending hours upon hours writing this stuff. Hell, before I even post this episode up, I have written over 200,000 words for this story. According to wikipedia, the average professional typists can write at 50-80 wpm. Let's say I was at max there. 200,000/80. 2,500 minutes. Over 41 hours doing this. And that is at max. That's not counting going back and correcting mistakes, editing, planning, all that. I have spent all this time writing up this story, for no pay.**

**I think of all of this, yet I keep doing it. I keep writing this. Because I enjoy it. I enjoy the feedback. I enjoyed the responses I got from everyone when ICB ended. That's why I continued.**

**I guess I like to entertain, and because I love both respective series.**

**You see, I can't speak well due to massive stuttering issues and slurring of my words, despite having to take speech therapy during elementary, middle, and high school, so I have to rely on other means of expression - the written word being one of them.**

**Sorry for taking up your time. I'm just getting a little philosophical. Maybe I'm thinking too much like Koizumi. It helps to think like the character when you write like them, you see. I've tried to do that for every single character.**

**Maybe that's why I love writing for the crazy ones so much.**

**Read and Review! Lady Yukari demands it!**


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